WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee that has jurisdiction over trade policy, expressed significant disappointment in the Obama Administration’s announcement to tie the submission of the three outstanding trade agreements with Colombia, Panama and Korea to new government spending for Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA):
“The Administration’s announcement that they will tie our three pending trade agreements to unrelated spending is hugely disappointing to American workers, farmers, and job creators, who are losing out to foreign competitors with every passing day. It makes no sense to shut the door on increasing U.S. exports by over $10 billion in order to fund a costly program. With our economy struggling and our nation broke, it’s time to stop the excuses and give our exporters fair access to international markets."
