WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following statement after today’s Committee “mock" markup of the draft implementing bills for the Colombia, Panama, and South Korea trade agreements and the inclusion of a domestic spending program, Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) in the South Korea implementing bill:
“While our job-creating trade agreements with Colombia, Panama, and South Korea are finally one step closer to being a reality, I am disappointed by the majority’s blatant and partisan abuse of long-standing trade rules. Including a domestic spending program of dubious merit is bad policy which jeopardizes support for the South Korea agreement and puts its TPA protection at risk. I hope we can find a better path forward and the President will now act quickly and submit these agreements for Congressional consideration, without including the TAA poison pill."
