May 18, 2015, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement urging Senate Republicans to reconsider their support of granting trade promotion authority to President Barack Obama to negotiate the Trans-Pacific Partnership and other trade agreements in light of more Republican presidential aspirants coming out against the deal:
“With Chris Christie now coming out against fast track, joining presidential aspirants Bobby Jindal, Carly Fiorina, Rand Paul, Donald Trump, Lindsey Graham and Mike Huckabee, it is clear that Republican voters are dead set opposed to granting trade authority to President Obama. Meanwhile, Senate Republicans are risking seats in 2016 in Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin to get the legislation passed, jeopardizing any majority in the Senate a new Republican president might enjoy, and making it harder to win the states he or she will need in order to even get to the White House.”
Attachments:
Chris Christie comes out against trade authority for Obama on Laura Ingraham Show, May 13, 2015 at http://www.lauraingraham.com/b/Chris-Christie-Comes-Out-Swinging-Against-Obama-Rubio-Fast-Track-And-Foreign-Workers/310818663719163797.html
Ingraham: What’s your take on giving Obama this fast track trade authority, this is a huge issue in Congress right now. A lot of Republicans are working with Obama although they didn’t campaign on doing that but know they are working with Obama on this issue. What is your take on that?
Christie: Well listen, I’ve said that the only way I would give fast track trade authority to a president, was if it was a president that could actually trust and negotiate well, and after watching the way this president has negotiated with folks in Iran. I have real concerns about giving this president the ability to negotiate on his own. I believe in general in giving the executive more authority to negotiate trade agreements, I have real concern on giving this president executive trade authority.
Interview Availability: Please contact Americans for Limited Government at (703) 383-0880 ext. 106 or at media@limitgov.org to arrange an interview with ALG experts including ALG President Rick Manning.
###