Rep. Mark Takano Votes No on Trade Legislation
Washington, DC – Earlier today, Rep. Mark Takano voted against a series of trade bills, including Trade Adjustment Assistance and Trade Promotional Authority. After the votes, Rep. Takano released the following statement:
“Earlier today, I voted against a series of bills that would pave the way for the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a free-trade agreement with 12 nations in the Asia Pacific region. While I do support Trade Adjustment Assistance in principle, I do not support paying for TAA by using Medicare funding. Medicare is not a piggy bank, and I find those who criticize Medicare’s funding levels, yet vote in favor of treating it as such, to be incredibly disingenuous.
“I also voted against Trade Promotional Authority, more commonly known as ‘Fast-track’, which would prevent Congress from amending any trade agreements for the next six years. Any trade agreement submitted to Congress must be debated by those who represent the working the families who will be affected and changed, if need be.
“Free-trade agreements have a well-documented history of harming working families the most, including ones in the Inland Empire, and I will not support any agreement that does so. As additional trade bills come to the floor next week, I will continue to vote in the best interest of working families in the Inland Empire and across our country.“
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