Today Sens. Frank Murkowski and Bob Graham announced the introduction of legislation to grant Trade Promotion Authority to the President. Sen. Chuck Grassley, ranking member of the Committee on Finance, made the following comment on this development.
“This is a great development. The legislation put forth today is the first bipartisan Trade Promotion Authority bill in the Senate. It’s also the most comprehensive. This is a good bill that gives the President the flexibility he needs to negotiate strong trade agreements on behalf of the American people. It requires substantial consultation with Congress, and it addresses labor and environmental issues in a thoughtful way. In the process of working toward Trade Promotion Authority, it’s important to get legislative language on the table. A lot of members support the concept, but they want details. Here’s a detailed proposal that I hope members will support. The political will to approve Trade Promotion Authority is growing. This legislation gives us a way to act on that will."
