[CTC] Rep Blumenauer threatens "radical" Fast Track reform

[Arthur Stamoulis]

Politico Morning Trade

BLUMENAUER THREATENS ‘RADICAL’ TPA REFORMS: Rep. Earl Blumenauer  <https://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=9f7b577b670645ae22bb4ab48d0f0fb369fb55582c3c3daa27f1f48ba1e63621ef90e333d7a1a681d728bd2e223de111>(D-Ore.), the head of the House Ways and Means subcommittee on trade, said he would seek to curtail the president’s Trade Promotion Authority power if the next administration does not work more closely with Congress.

Blumenauer told a webinar audience Wednesday the Trump White House had “abused the authority delegated to it by Congress” in the TPA, which allows the president to negotiate new trade deals that Congress can approve or deny, but not amend.

“If we see the same high-end approach from whoever is in power in 2021, I will be leading efforts to radically rethink Congress’ traditional delegation of trade authority to the executive,” Blumenauer said, without giving further details. 

The controversial legislation barely passed Congress in 2015, after a huge and memorable fight in the House. With little prep work done so far for renewal, expectations are low that a new bill will be passed before the current TPA expires on July 1 of next year. 

The Oregon Democrat said cooperation with Congress has been scarce in the Trump administration’s trade policy, with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer negotiating some deals, like a digital trade pact with Japan <https://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=9f7b577b670645ae7e76804d6cf5f9f5d1f42bb895594198b494dfc7d8f14fb8d91788d96e3cfa660a3f4dd1de29ba63>, “without involving Congress.”

Blumenauer said that even if the winner of the presidential election commits to engage Congress, some lawmakers might still want to “revisit some parameters of congressional delegation” after Trump’s first term.

A more receptive White House “will make all of this much easier to negotiate,” he added.


Arthur Stamoulis
Citizens Trade Campaign
(202) 494-8826




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