Thread: BOOM! Paul Ryan Just Gave 10 Reasons Why US Should Lead on Trade

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BOOM! Paul Ryan Just Gave the Best Reasons for Why America Should Lead on Trade

Thursday, February 5, 2015 - 11:45am

— Written by
Sean Hackbarth


Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI), Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee. Photo credit: Photographer: Scott Eells/Bloomberg.

In remarks at the Washington International Trade Association, House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI) delivered a tour de force on the need for a robust American trade agenda, starting with renewal of Trade Promotion Authority (TPA). Following are excerpts:

Twenty years ago, trade supported one out of every ten of our jobs. Now it’s one out of every five. This is our future. And there’s no turning back—because we can’t create more jobs if we don’t get more customers. And 96 percent of the world’s customers live outside the United States…

The thing about trade is, it can feel like a competition, where there’s always a winner and always a loser. But really, it’s more like a collaboration—because both sides succeed. Otherwise, they wouldn’t do it. More trade means more people—from every country—buying, selling, investing, creating—all working together to build a better world…

Now, what trade agreements do is level the playing field. Our economy is already one of the most open in the world. So trade agreements make other countries take down barriers to our exports—tariffs, quotas, red tape. What a trade agreement says is, ‘If you’ve got what I want, and I’ve got what you want, then let’s work something out. Let’s set up rules so it’s easier to trade. That way, we’ll both be better off.’

Take our three most recent agreements. Where do our exports stand now? Vegetables to Korea, up 60 percent . . . iron and steel to Colombia, up 100 percent . . . household appliances to Panama, up 200 percent. In fact, if you add up all the countries that do not have agreements with us, our manufacturers run a trade deficit with them. But if you add up all the countries that do have an agreement with us, we run a surplus…

And only a trade agreement can give you that fair chance. Here’s why. Say somebody steals your software. If you’re a big corporation, you’ve got money and lawyers; you can get to the bottom of it. But if you’re a small or medium-sized business—and 98 percent of our exporters are—you can’t afford to fight that. You’re out of luck—unless there’s an agreement . . . an enforceable agreement…

To get the best deal possible, we have to be in the best position possible. We can’t negotiate with ourselves. We have to maintain a united front.

Now, I am not saying to enhance our leverage we have to enhance the administration’s power—far from it. What I’m saying is this bill would enhance Congress’s power. TPA empowers Congress.

Here’s how. Nothing stops the administration from negotiating a deal without our input. So, if we waited till after the negotiations are done to get involved—if we simply reacted to what the administration put in front of us—we might kill the deal. That means we have to get involved before the deal is done, not after it’s finished. We have to be proactive, not reactive.

That’s what TPA does. We call this process ‘trade promotion authority.’ But I think of it more as a contract. We say to the administration, if you want this up-or-down vote, you have to meet three requirements: Number one, you have to follow our guidelines. Number two, you have to talk to us. And number three, you have to remember: We get the final say.

We simply can’t get the best deals without TPA. That’s why we’ve got to pass it as soon as possible. And that’s why the President has to show some leadership on this. Completing these trade deals is my No. 1 priority…

But we can’t lose sight of the bigger picture—of what we’re doing and why—because it’s not just our economy that’s on the line. It’s our credibility. There’s no question it’s taken a beating in the last few years. We’ve left the world wondering, ‘Does the United States have staying power? Will it stick it out?’ Finishing these trade deals would emphatically say, ‘Yes.’ Yes, you can count on the United States. We will be there. We won’t abandon the field. We will stick up for free enterprise and free people.

Tell your Member of Congress to support American jobs and economic growth by supporting Trade Promotion Authority.

Take our three most recent agreements. Where do our exports stand now? Vegetables to Korea, up 60 percent . . . iron and steel to Colombia, up 100 percent . . . household appliances to Panama, up 200 percent. In fact, if you add up all the countries that do not have agreements with us, our manufacturers run a trade deficit with them. But if you add up all the countries that do have an agreement with us, we run a surplus…

This isn't true.

Trade deficit with South Korea - $25 billion, up $5 billion from last year.

https://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/balance/c5800.html

Trade surplus with Columbia - $2.1 billion, down $1.1 billion from last year.

https://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/balance/c3010.html

Trade surplus with Panana - $9.997 billion, down .2 billion from last year.

https://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/balance/c2250.html

How can he make such a statement in support of Trade Promotion Authority when all the numbers are going in the wrong direction after these trade agreements are "negotiated"? Countries that we had trade surpluses with have declining surpluses and those that we had trade deficits with have higher deficits.

Oh wait, he's a Chamber Man! Forget Paul Ryan. Wake Up Wisconsin. Paul Ryan isn't right on the budget, he isn't right on trade, he isn't right on tax reform, and he's not right on immigration.

On immigration he wants illegal aliens to be given the chance to "get right with the law". That's code speak for amnesty. On legal immigration he wants more faster immigration, which means more immigrants on welfare and more Americans out of work.

Our immigration system is broken, and the evidence is overwhelming. First, 11 million undocumented immigrants are living in the United States. Because they lack legal status, they are outside the scope of the law. We don’t know who they are or in what activities they are involved. Second, we encourage people to break the law and punish those who follow it. Immigrants who attempt to come to this country by legal means find themselves wrapped up in endless paperwork and bureaucracy. The current backlog for family-sponsored visas is so vast that it could take up to 11.5 years for the visa to be processed.


We should reform our immigration system because it will help America. Immigrants contribute to our economy. They started one-fourth of all new businesses in 2011. And immigrant-owned small businesses employ 4.7 million people. In fact, first- or second-generation immigrants founded 40% of all Fortune 500 companies, including AT&T, Kraft, Google, Yahoo!, and eBay. As a result, the American Action Forum estimates that immigration reform will boost per capita income by $1,700 over ten years and reduce the federal deficit by $2.7 trillion.


Most countries use immigration to strengthen their economies—but we don’t. In the U.S., only 7% of green cards went to work-based immigrants in 2010, but the vast majority of visas in other countries, like Canada and Australia, are directly aimed at work-based immigrants that can boost their economies. We give out visas based on people’s family connections, not their talents or skills. Consequently, we are missing out and falling behind.


We need an immigration system that upholds the rule of law and helps our economy grow. The Senate has put forward one approach, but I believe the House can do better. We will not take up the Senate bill in the House. Instead, we should put together our own proposals—which will make our immigration system more accountable, efficient, and effective.

My Principles for Reform I believe four principles should guide our effort:

• First, we need to secure the border. We can’t have a secure country without a secure border.

• Second, we need to enforce our laws. Otherwise, we will repeat the mistakes of the past.

• Third, we need to encourage legal immigration. We need a guest-worker program that meets the needs of our economy, and we need to attract the best and brightest to our shores.

• Fourth, we need to give people a chance to get right with the law. We should welcome anyone who is committed to America. But we should always uphold the rule of law—and be fair to those who followed it. However, no amnesty should be provided.

http://paulryan.house.gov/issues/iss...0#.VOG55S7HQrs

What is wrong with you Paul? I'll tell you what's wrong with you. You're a Chamber Man instead of an American Man.

Originally Posted by Judy

What is wrong with you Paul? I'll tell you what's wrong with you. You're a Chamber Man instead of an American Man.

Ryan has the 'Bama touch. Lie thru your teeth, secure in the knowledge that a subservient media won't expose your lies.

These are the same people who can call for increased immigration at a time when American workforce participation is down, wages are stagnant, and even our STEM graduates are having difficulty finding jobs in their fields. Yikes.
*********************************
Americans first in this magnificent country

American jobs for American workers

Fair trade, not free trade

Originally Posted by vistalad

Ryan has the 'Bama touch. Lie thru your teeth, secure in the knowledge that a subservient media won't expose your lies.

These are the same people who can call for increased immigration at a time when American workforce participation is down, wages are stagnant, and even our STEM graduates are having difficulty finding jobs in their fields. Yikes.
*********************************
Americans first in this magnificent country

American jobs for American workers

Fair trade, not free trade

Exactly! I don't understand him getting by with the lies about the impact of the TPA and Free Trade Treason Agreements. I could pick apart his other bull crap reasons for TPA, but chose to focus on the facts and attack the lie about the trade surpluses and deficits. I could do it by country for every country we have these with but have posted most of them in the past so won't do it again. It takes a lot of time. However the links I provided above allow anyone to check the sad trade facts any time they want and to respond to any other Trade Lies spewing around on behalf of the US Chamber of Commerce and the Traitors behind it.

Originally Posted by Judy

[T]he links I provided above allow anyone to check the sad trade facts any time they want and to respond to any other Trade Lies spewing around on behalf of the US Chamber of Commerce and the Traitors behind it.

A few links should be sufficient. How many times do you really need to show that Ryan is lying.
****************************
Americans first in this magnificent country

American jobs for American workers

Fair trade, not free trade