Moving Forward On Trade Agreements Side Tracked By Debt Ceiling Falderal
By: Doug Busselman, Executive Vice President
While the debt ceiling limit drama plays itself out and our elected representatives find a way to authorize our country to go deeper into debt, one area of prospective good economic progress has been put on hold. We recently received this update from those working in Washington, D.C. to encourage passage of three pending trade agreements, requiring attention by lawmakers to go forward…
The track record of past trade agreements, as detailed in this piece by Daniel Griswold, should further reinforce the importance of Congressional action to get these arrangements finalized.
Our only real path out of the malaise of our current doldrums is growing private sector jobs through actual economic ventures like the business opportunities offered in these trade agreements. Government can’t spend us out of the mess we’re in, but they can take the necessary steps to authorize win-win trade agreements and then stay out of the way.
It would also help if they could figure out a way to keep from spending more than they are taking from the private sector, who are trying to earn enough to make a living and support government’s over-spending addictions.
While the debt ceiling limit drama plays itself out and our elected representatives find a way to authorize our country to go deeper into debt, one area of prospective good economic progress has been put on hold. We recently received this update from those working in Washington, D.C. to encourage passage of three pending trade agreements, requiring attention by lawmakers to go forward…
”The three pending trade agreements with Korea, Colombia and Panama will not be introduced until Congress returns from the August District Work Period. Action on the trade agreements has been complicated by the issue of whether to include Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) as part of the package and the ongoing negotiations over the debt ceiling and deficit reduction. The Administration has stated they will send the implementing bills and TAA to Congress in September. In addition, twelve key Senate Republicans have sent a letter to the Administration saying they would support TAA as a stand-alone bill on the Senate floor. This announcement is critical to keeping the trade agreements moving forward, given that the main opposition to the process of TAA and the implementing bills is Senate Republicans.”The American Farm Bureau Federation and others interested in the long-term strength of our country’s agriculture have been pushing hard to gain favorable actions by Congress to move forward with adoption and implementation of the trade agreements that are hung up with the problems outlined above. As we can see from this background information, there are very solid reasons to get the deals cinched with Korea, Columbia and Panama.
The track record of past trade agreements, as detailed in this piece by Daniel Griswold, should further reinforce the importance of Congressional action to get these arrangements finalized.
Our only real path out of the malaise of our current doldrums is growing private sector jobs through actual economic ventures like the business opportunities offered in these trade agreements. Government can’t spend us out of the mess we’re in, but they can take the necessary steps to authorize win-win trade agreements and then stay out of the way.
It would also help if they could figure out a way to keep from spending more than they are taking from the private sector, who are trying to earn enough to make a living and support government’s over-spending addictions.
Posted by Doug Busselman at 7/29/2011 7:47 AM 
Categories: Economy
Tags: Trade Congress Trade Agreements Korea Trade Agreement Columbia Trade Agreement Panama Trade Agreement
Categories: Economy
Tags: Trade Congress Trade Agreements Korea Trade Agreement Columbia Trade Agreement Panama Trade Agreement
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