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•TPA is the framework provided by Congress to the Executive branch for negotiating trade agreements and is in no way a trade agreement in and of itself.
•TPA does not give away American sovereignty over any of our nation’s laws, regulations, or our Constitution.
•TPA Scorecard: 150 vs. 0 – Under TPA, there are over 150 Congressional Directives which create a strong system of checks and balances the Executive Branch must adhere to when negotiating trade deals on behalf of the United States. Voting down TPA does not curtail the President’s authority to negotiate trade agreements; rather it gives the Executive branch carte blanche to negotiate however it sees fit without Congressional oversight. TPA therefore provides for greater Congressional oversight and transparency.
•If the President, whoever it may be, does not adhere to the 150 parameters provided by Congress when negotiating trade agreements on behalf of our country, TPA can be “switched off” by Congress.
*Reading the bill will help separate fact from fiction. For instance, page 50 outlines the Congressional oversight mechanisms put in place. Page 85 requires full public disclosure of all future trade agreements. Pages 89-91 include the mechanisms to stop President Obama if he does not negotiate within the framework provided by Congress. Page 102 guarantees supremacy of our laws and that only Congress can change them. Please click on the link I have provided to read this legislation for yourself.
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