Senate Dems want Trump to withdraw from Pacific trade deal

Five Senate Democrats on Thursday introduced legislation to withdraw the United States from a sweeping Asia-Pacific trade agreement.

Sens. Tammy Baldwin (Wis.), Debbie Stabenow (Mich.), Elizabeth Warren (Mass.), Jeff Merkley (Ore.) and Ed Markey (Mass.) say the bill would hold President-elect Donald Trump accountable to fulfill his promise to leave the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).

Trump has said he would remove the United States on the first day of his new administration.

“Negotiated behind closed doors, TPP reflects the desires of multinational corporations, not the Wisconsin workers who will have to live with its consequences,” Baldwin said.

“President-elect Trump repeatedly promised to withdraw from TPP, in fact he made a pledge to do it on Friday,” she said.

{mosads}Trade was a major issue for Trump during the presidential campaign, and Democrats have found themselves to be frequent allies with the president-elect on U.S. policy. 

President Obama had hoped to pass the TPP before leaving office, but Trump’s surprise election brought the effort to a halt. 

“Americans have said ‘no’ to the job-killing TPP, and it’s time for Congress and the Trump administration to formally reject it too,” Merkley said.

The legislation would require the president to provide the 11 other countries in the TPP with a written notice of withdrawal on the day the legislation is enacted.

The TPP withdrawal legislation would also prevent the TPP from being considered in Congress under the trade promotion authority (TPA), which allows for approval of a trade deal without amendment.

“From weak labor standards to toothless enforcement provisions and special private courts for multinational corporations, TPP was a lousy deal,” Warren said. 

“Throwing out the TPP is a first step in resetting our trade agenda.”

Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) has introduced companion legislation in the House.

House Democrats also have called on Trump to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Trump’s Commerce secretary pick, Wilbur Ross, told the Senate Commerce Committee on Wednesday that reworking the deal is at the top of his trade agenda.