On the recordJune 12, 2015
I appreciate the gentleman from Texas for yielding. Mr. Speaker, we had a vote on the TPA here, and I just wanted to take some time to explain, and I think my colleague from Texas probably feels the same way. I am for trade. I think trade is good. I am not against trade, but, today, I voted against the trade promotion authority, which would fast track the TPP. I just wanted to take a second to explain why I was compelled to vote against this legislation today. First of all, like my colleague, I have read the TPP. I have been down to the confidential room. It is a very thick document, and there are two bound volumes, and there is a binder that goes with it as sort of a guide. What struck me the most about this TPP document is the enormity of it. My staff isn't even allowed to read the document. We are not allowed to have access to the Internet while we are in there when we are looking at the document. We are not allowed to take notes from the room, and this document references other bound documents. So how could I possibly--one person, by myself in a confidential room--understand what some of the unintended consequences of this trade agreement would be if I can't understand the document and if I am not allowed the resources to fully analyze this document? I want there to be more daylight on this document before we put it on a path to approval.…
