Though the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Association of Manufacturers and numerous editorial boards – including the Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal – are all in favor of trade promotion authority (TPA), it would have passed the U.S. Congress by now were it not for considerable opposition. This has left many people wondering where this resistance derives from.
Chief among the detractors is the South Dakota Farmers Union (SDFU).
Speaking to news radio station WNAX, Matt Sibley, SDFU's legislative director, noted that his organization opposes TPA because it delegitimizes the democratic process.
"We have a system [of government] that's set up to protect us and that's the system of checks and balances," said Sibley. "This is basically an end around to get around that process, to take a short cut."
Sibley added that in the past, when TPA has been in place, its helped create trade agreements that haven't done much good for the U.S. because it's wound up increasing the trade deficit.
The agriculture trade is a major component of South Dakota's economy. According to the South Dakota Department of Agriculture, it's the state's No. 1 industry, with corn yields averaging 183 bushels per acre, up from 109 bushels per acre in 2001. Much of this production is sent overseas to foreign markets.
South Dakota is the U.S.' top producer of oats and sunflowers and is third in flaxseed production.
Citizens Trade Campaign says TPA is DOA
SDFU isn't alone in its objection to fast track authority. The Citizens Trade Campaign (CTC) has also expressed its disapproval.
For example, committees in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate have agreed on a bill that would reinstall TPA. This paves the way for it to be put to a floor vote, but dozens of rallies led by CTC have been held around the country since the legislation was introduced, all in an effort to stop the bill from being put to a vote.
"Fast track is dead on arrival in the U.S. Congress," said Arthur Stamoulis, CTC executive director. "[TPA] legislation is the same as last year's failed fast track bill, which failed to garner enough support to pass the House of Representatives. If anything, public opposition to fast track is even louder and better organized this time around."
CTC is against TPA for economic reasons as well, believing that it will wind up hurting small farming entities and embolden corporations, which already account for most of the agriculture trade. It also says that TPA will "undermine global economic stability by prohibiting effective regulation of financial markets."
Democracy for America (DFA), a progressive political action committee, echoes TPA detractors' sentiments. Jim Dean, DFA chairperson, indicated that much of the American public stands against the trade deal.
"In poll after poll and call after call, the American people have been extremely clear in their opposition to Fast Track and the job-killing, NAFTA-style Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement," said Dean.
He added that there's no reason for lawmakers to vote for fast track, pointing to Democrats in particular. Generally speaking, opposition to TPA has mainly come from the Democrats rather than Republicans.
What proponents believe
Supporters of TPA indicate that the legislation makes foreign trade possible, helping to keep prices low for consumer products and adding millions of jobs, further stimulating the economy. Most Americans are pro-foreign trade. In a recent poll, 58 percent of U.S. adults said that they considered foreign trade to be an opportunity for the country's financial system to grow, according to Gallup. Just 33 percent said that they viewed it as a threat to commerce.
Proponents of TPA say that, contrary to what critics believe, the legislation does not give the president new powers. All it does is provide the commander in chief with negotiation powers to establish the framework of a trade agreement. In order for any deal to go into effect, it still must be passed by the U.S. Congress. With fast track in place, legislators must give a straight up or down vote, unable to attach amendments.