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<div class="WordSection1">The National Farmers Union, a charter member of the Citizens Trade Campaign, has long opposed NAFTA expansion.</div>
<div class="WordSection1">Hats off to President Roger Johnson, the NFU Board and DC staff for giving the lie to the TPP's agribusiness boosters.</div>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif"; color:black">FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE</span></b><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif"; color:black"><br>
February 23, 2016</span><span style="color:black"></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif"; color:black">Contact: Andrew Jerome, 202-314-3106<br>
</span><span style="color:black"><a href="mailto:ajerome@nfudc.org" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif"">ajerome@nfudc.org</span></a></span><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif"; color:black">
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<b><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif"; color:black">NFU Contests TPP’s Benefits for U.S. Agriculture
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">WASHINGTON (February 23, 2016) – The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is having a hard time attracting much support on Capitol Hill, so the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) briefed reporters today about TPP’s
benefits in hopes of reviving the fledgling trade deal. But one farm organization, representing 200,000 family farmers and ranchers, was quick to point out that USDA’s projections of job growth and rural prosperity closely mirror the failed promises of past
trade pacts. </span><span style="color:black"></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">National Farmers Union (NFU) President Roger Johnson offered the following statement following today’s USDA media call:
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><i><span style="color:black">“The year-after-year growth of the U.S. trade deficit is an alarming trend for an already stressed agriculture economy. To broadly categorize agriculture as benefitting from this agreement
is not giving due diligence to the serious concerns that are not addressed by TPP.
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><i><span style="color:black">“While access to global markets is important for American agriculture, a trade agreement that does little to fix currency manipulation, reign in foreign predatory trade practices, or
improve the $531 billion trade imbalance is not the solution.</span></i><span style="color:black"></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><i><span style="color:black">“In its current form, the TPP stands to hurt our rural economies by pitting American jobs against foreign labor that is paid mere pennies per hour. Beyond the farm gate, any consumer
that cares about where their food comes from should be concerned with the TPP. </span>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><i><span style="color:black">“This is an issue that affects all Americans alike. I continue to urge Congress to give thoughtful consideration to opposing the TPP.”</span></i><span style="color:black"></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">In January, Johnson testified to the U.S. International Trade Commission about TPP. His testimony can be ready
</span><span style="color:black"><a href="http://www.nfu.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/01-12-15-Testimony-on-TPP-for-USITC.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif"">here</span></a></span><span style="color:black">.
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<p align="center" style="text-align:center"><i><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif"; color:black">National Farmers Union has been working since 1902 to protect and enhance the economic well-being and quality of life for family farmers, ranchers and rural
communities through advocating grassroots-driven policy positions adopted by its membership.</span></i><span style="color:black"></span></p>
<p align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif"; color:black">-30-</span><span style="color:black"></span></p>
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