In this Rodney Dangerfield Congress, will trade ride the GOP wave?

Rodney Dangerfield said that when he was a child, he got no respect. He claimed that he was once kidnapped, and the kidnappers sent his parents a note saying: “We want $5,000 or you’ll see your boy again.”

He also claimed that the kidnappers sent a piece of his finger to his father, and his dad replied that he wanted more proof.

Everyone knows that the 113th Congress has no respect for trade, but was it Congress that created the mess, or was it lack of leadership from the president? We wonder why U.S. trade issues are backed up in Washington, especially when we know that eventually they will move forward. We also wonder if this is a case of a self-inflicted wound that has hurt our economy and the growth of this great nation. Why has Trade Promotion Authority been on hold since 2007, or the Miscellaneous Tariff Bill (MTB) since 2012, or the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) since 2013? Why hasn’t Congress renewed the Nicaraguan Tariff Preference Level (TPL) or the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA)? Who is to blame — Congress or the administration?

In terms of trade, if our government were a business, we would soon be out of business. It’s safe to say that the “red wave” that hit our shores on Nov. 4 clearly indicated what Americans are thinking.

{mosads}However, it’s also safe to say that as we look back at the campaign season, everyone needs to realize that it’s one thing to run a campaign and another to govern. The recent campaigns were just so self-serving, full of talking points and buzzwords — designed to get your attention, but without any bearing on practical governance. Some of the truly negative campaigns were not only destructive to the candidates, but also to the opinion that Americans hold for the institution of Congress. With an 80.7 percent disapproval rating (through October, according to RealClearPolitics), respect for Congress has hit the bottom of the barrel.

Warren Beatty’s Jay Billington Bulworth had it right all along: “The rich are getting richer while the middle class is getting more poor. We got a Congress that ain’t got a clue. We got factories closing down. Where the hell did all the good jobs go?”

In life, there are lots of things that we just don’t like. In 2006, when the late Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez made a negative comment about President George W. Bush during a U.N. speech, it was Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) who stood up to him and said that while some people in the USA may be critical of President Bush, “you don’t come into my country, you don’t come into my congressional district, and you don’t condemn my president.” Rangel may have had sharply different views from Bush, but it was respect for the office of the president that caused him to confront Chavez. This situation was solely about having respect for those that lead our country. When there is no respect, it becomes impossible to govern.

So now, Congress will finally head back to Washington to finish their lackluster 113th session. They now enter the lame-duck session, where legislative “stuff” is thrown into a giant hopper and hopefully passes (without any member being held accountable for his or her individual vote). It’s a great way to finally get things done, but the problem is that the lame-duck is just too short a season and it becomes impossible to stuff 20 pounds of manure into the 10-pound sack. So, all in all, some legislation will get passed and some won’t. Let’s hope that the trade agenda floats to the top of the barrel. Let’s hope trade finally gets some respect and that Congress can now work together in order to elevate their standing in the eyes of the American public.

And finally, whether you like the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement or not, passage would clearly put America into the world leadership position on trade. Covering 39 percent of the world’s gross domestic product and 45 percent of U.S. exports, TPP can make a difference. However, for TPP to move, it has to be covered by passage of the Trade Promotion Authority (TPA). Truth be told, it is unlikely that current Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) will rush TPA to the floor, but business leaders and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce will aggressively push to get it done. If the 113th Congress has any respect for the trade agenda, they will complete TPA so that America can move forward in the new 114th Congress with TPP and with a more aggressive trade agenda.

Rodney Dangerfield went to the doctor once, because he complained that every morning he looked in the mirror and felt like throwing up. Rodney asked: “What’s wrong with me?” The doctor replied that he didn’t know, but commented that Rodney’s eyesight was perfect.

Helfenbein is chairman of the board of the American Apparel and Footwear Association. He is a strong advocate for a robust U.S. trade agenda and lectures frequently on the subjects of supply chain and international trade.