On the recordJune 12, 2015
Today, I rise in support of H.R. 1314, the Trade Act of 2015, and H.R. 644, the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act. With 96 percent of the world's customers living outside of the United States, it remains vital for Congress to facilitate free trade agreements through the passage of trade promotion authority. Absent TPA, America will continue to sit on the sidelines while the rest of the world negotiates free trade agreements and opens additional markets. In my home State of Indiana, we have the largest number of manufacturers per capita in the United States. In the Hoosier State, exporting manufacturing goods supports 22 percent of our manufacturing jobs, 1 out of every 5. Our Hoosier farmers export over $3.6 billion across our 5 largest agricultural export sectors. At the end of the day, trade equals jobs. Congress must pass TPA to empower our negotiators to receive the best deal possible for American families and job creators. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
