IDFA urged members this week to contact their representatives and ask them to vote for the Trade Priorities and Accountability Act, or TPA-2015, to renew Trade Promotion Authority (TPA). The House of Representatives will have a floor vote on TPA-2015 this Friday.

TPA has long played an important role in both the negotiation and Congressional consideration of trade agreements. TPA was last written in 2002, but it expired in 2007. This legislation would ensure that pending and new trade and investment agreements that benefit the U.S. dairy industry move forward to completion with only an up-or-down vote in Congress without amendments. This facet of the legislation assures U.S. negotiating partners that concessions made during the negotiation will not be undone through amendments.

“The passage of TPA-2015 legislation would strengthen U.S. negotiators’ hands to secure solid results in U.S. trade negotiations and demonstrate to the countries we are negotiating with that Congress supports high-standard and market-opening outcomes in these negotiations,” said Beth Hughes, director of international affairs for IDFA. “TPA is also critical in advancing the broader U.S. trade agenda, in which the dairy industry has a huge stake.”

TPA to Help Key Trade Negotiations Underway

TPA is especially important as two of the most ambitious trade negotiations in the nation’s history —the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (T-TIP)—are underway to further reduce trade barriers to exports of American goods and services.

“A vote in the U.S. House of Representatives is expected this Friday, and we encourage members to make dairy count by reaching out to their representatives today,” said Ashley Burch, director of political programs for IDFA. “Whether or not this legislation goes to the President’s desk could very well be decided by a just handful of votes. Dairy could be the difference.”

For questions regarding TPA, members may contact Hughes at bhughes@idfa.org or 202-220-3527.

For assistance reaching out to members of Congress, members may contact Burch at aburch@idfa.org or 202-220-3534.