Carper Statement on Passage of Trade Bills

WASHINGTON – Today, Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) released the following statement after the Senate approved key pieces of trade legislation.

“I’m proud of the strong, bipartisan work the Senate has done to send this historic Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) bill to President Obama’s desk for his signature. For the first time, there are requirements for enforceable labor and environmental provisions. There is clear attention to issues like human rights. And there is enhanced transparency for Congress and the public as trade agreements are being negotiated.

“We’ve also made remarkable progress in approving a robust piece of Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) legislation. I believe we have an obligation to lend a helping hand to hard-working Americans whose jobs may be displaced as we increase our exports to countries around the globe, and it’s my hope that the House will quickly consider and pass this bill.

“For Delaware, better trade deals mean more jobs and better wages. We can increase the more than $5 billion in goods we exported in 2014 and the nearly 25,000 jobs supported by those exports in the First State. Delaware’s trade-related employment grew six times faster than total state employment from 2004 to 2013, and that growth only stands to increase if we’re able to secure the fair trade deals that the administration is currently negotiating.

“The American people want us to work together. They want us to get things done. And they want us to do everything we can to continue our economic recovery. Today, we’ve shown them that we’re up to the task.”

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