WASHINGTON - The House Committee on Ways and Means today approved draft implementing language for the US-Peru free trade agreement (FTA) by voice vote, signaling strong bipartisan support for the accord. The Peru FTA is the first agreement to incorporate key changes in trade policy to include basic labor standards, stronger environmental provisions and expanded access to life-saving medicines. Below you will find quotes from Democratic members of the Ways and Means Committee expressing their support for this new approach to trade policy and the US-Peru FTA:
Trade Subcommittee Chairman Sander Levin (D-MI):
"The Peru FTA signals a dramatic step in a new trade policy - one that takes on the essential need to expand the sharing of the benefits of expanded trade and addressing its downsides - by including for the first time enforceable worker rights and environmental standards." We have broken once and for all the failed NAFTA and CAFTA model and are charting a very different course for U.S. trade policy."
Representative Jim McDermott (D-WA):
"Trade is about people more than it is about goods and services produced; trade is about the policies and commitment of our great nation to make the world a better place. With this agreement today we are leading the world by raising the bar to a new level to protect workers and the environment. This is a defining moment and one we can be proud of."
Representative John Tanner (D-TN):
"I want to thank Chairman Rangel and Ranking Member McCrery for working together on a bipartisan agreement that will help farmers and exporters in Tennessee and elsewhere. Bipartisan support for the Peru Free Trade Agreement is critical to moving the trade agenda forward, which is a key component in securing long-term economic growth in America."
Representative Rahm Emanuel (D-IL):
"Economic security isn`t just about balancing the family budget - it`s about ensuring both American business and American employees have a place in the global economy. Chairmen Rangel and Levin`s trade bill reflects our interests and values and offers American companies the tools they need to compete and succeed."
Representative Earl Blumenauer (D-OR):
"I joined the Ways and Means Committee dedicated to advancing a new direction in honest trade. Trade policy can be used to advance our most deeply held values, such as the commitment to workers’ rights and protection of the environment. Passage of this agreement, and the groundbreaking labor and environmental standards contained within it, has already and will continue to yield real, on-the-ground benefits for these two important concerns."
Representative Ron Kind (D-WI):
"The Peru FTA represents a new day in US trade. With the leadership of Chairman Rangel and Chairman Levin, and unprecedented bipartisan cooperation, including from the Senate and the White House, this trade agreement includes everything we as democrats have been fighting years for - greater environmental standards, labor protections, and more. This remarkable agreement sets a precedent for future agreements, and will be a great benefit to the American economy and the American worker."
Representative Bill Pascrell (D-NJ):
"The Peru FTA is a meaningful step forward towards a trade policy that will benefit the working people and economies of both countries. For the first time in any trade agreement, we have established fully enforceable obligations that require FTA parties to effectively enforce core labor rights. America’s trade policy is not perfect, and I rarely find myself supporting trade agreements, but I believe this FTA marks significant progress towards a more responsible trade philosophy."
Representative Joseph Crowley (D-NY):
"Chairman Rangel and Trade Subcommittee Chairman Levin worked tirelessly to establish a bipartisan framework for crafting trade agreements. Today, the fruits of their labor took an important step forward when the House Ways and Means Committee unanimously approved the US-Peru free trade agreement. This agreement does not reflect the failed NAFTA-CAFTA model. Instead, it respects workers and the environment by including the International Labor Organization’s (ILO) five core labor standards and ensuring the enforcement of multilateral environmental agreements. I applaud Chairmen Rangel and Levin for their efforts and for starting a new chapter in our nation’s trade policies."
Representative Chris Van Hollen (D-MD):
"Today’s approval of draft legislation to implement the Peru Trade Promotion Agreement is an important step toward opening Peruvian markets for U.S. businesses," said Congressman Van Hollen. "It protects and enforces basic international labor standards, promotes access to medicines, and enforces common multilateral environmental obligations."
Representative Kendrick Meek (D-FL):
"I applaud Chairman Rangel and Chairman Levin’s strong leadership in crafting the innovative U.S. Peru Free Trade Agreement which creates new market opportunities for Florida businesses but stays true to our Democratic values. Miami is America’s gateway to Latin America and this will greatly benefit both small and large Florida businesses, while at the same time strengthening the U.S. economy."
Representative Allyson Schwartz (D-PA):
"The Peru Free Trade Agreement represents a new model for trade that will improve working conditions and strengthen environmental protections. Today’s vote is a major victory for those of us that have demanded the Administration include these standards as part of our trade agenda. "
