President Obama used his radio address Saturday to press the case for free trade, including a 12-nation Pacific Rim agreement, on the eve of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s visit to the U.S.
And in a rare occurrence, the Republicans used their radio address to push for the same thing.
Obama is pushing Congress to give him Trade Promotion Authority, known as “Fast Track.” The measure limits Congress to approving trade deals with an up-or-down vote, without submitting any amendments. The administration wants lawmakers to approve the authority before he submits the recently negotiated Trans-Pacific Partnership to Congress to help ease its passage.
The Pacific deal, which includes 12 nations that border the Pacific Ocean but does not include China, would be the largest international trade deal since the passage of the North American Free Trade Agreement.
Republicans, who tend to support free trade, were quick to point out several milestones they have put in the legislation to review and slow passage of any trade agreements. But overall, the two often conflicting messages appeared largely in step.
“If America doesn’t shape the rules of the global economy today, to benefit our workers, while our economy is in a position of new global strength, then China will write those rules,” Obama said in his address.
“If you are not moving forward, you are falling behind. China is negotiating trade deals all over the world, and they’re trying to rig the rules in their favor. So it all comes down to this question: Is China going to write the rules of the global economy, or are we?” the Republicans said in their own address, delivered by House and Ways Committee Chairman Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., one of the sponsors of the Fast Track legislation.
Both addresses had the same targets to sell to as well: the American worker and skeptics within their own parties. Obama noted that the proposed Pacific pact is “the highest-standard trade agreement in history. It’s got strong provisions for workers and the environment — provisions that, unlike in past agreements, are actually enforceable.”
Republicans noted that the Fast Track measure has included tight reporting and transparency provisions for the president.
Ryan, in the Republican address noted that “Congress gets the final say. If you meet all of these requirements, we will give the agreement an up-or-down vote — without amendment. This will give our trading partners the confidence they need to make their best offers.
“But if the administration doesn’t do all that we have said, we can cancel the vote, we can change it, or stop it completely. In short, [Trade Promotion Authority] will hold the administration accountable and get us the highest quality agreements possible.”
