McCain makes case for Congress to pass Pacific trade deal

A top Republican senator said Friday that a failure by Congress to pass a Pacific Rim trade deal risks the future of U.S. leadership in the rapidly growing region.

Arizona Sen. John McCain, a long-time supporter of free trade who is trying to win a sixth Senate term, said that the U.S.’s so-called pivot to Asia will fall short if lawmakers can’t come together to pass the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).

{mosads}“If TPP fails, American leadership in the Asia-Pacific may very well fail with it,” McCain said during remarks at a U.S.-Asia policy forum at the Heritage Foundation.

“I recently asked the prime minister of Singapore what would happen if the United States fails to ratify the TPP. His response: ‘You’re finished in Asia. Let me repeat: You’re finished in Asia.’ ”

Singapore is one of the 11 other nations besides the United States that are part of the expansive trade agreement.

Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said during an August visit to Washington that “not only will the TPP benefit American workers and businesses, it will send a clear signal, and a vital signal, that America will continue to lead in the Asia-Pacific and enhance the partnerships that link our destinies together.”

The other countries in the TPP are: Australia, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Vietnam, Brunei, Canada, New Zealand and Peru.

McCain called the agreement a “historic opportunity to reduce trade barriers, open new markets, promote exports and keep U.S. companies competitive in one of the most economically vibrant and fastest-growing regions of the world.”

He said conservatives like himself and conservative organizations like the Heritage Foundation have a responsibility “to help lead this fight.”

President Obama is urging Congress to pass the deal before he leaves office but is facing a steep uphill battle amid anti-trade rhetoric from the Democratic and Republican presidential campaigns.

Earlier this week during a stop in Laos, the president said that “failure to move ahead with TPP would not just have economic consequences, but would call into question America’s leadership in this vital region.”

“As difficult as the politics are back home, I will continue to push hard on the U.S. Congress to approve TPP before I leave office, because I think it is important for this entire region and it is important for the United States,” he said.