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                     Many US Lawmakers Non-committal on TPP

   by Michael Bowman

   Many U.S. lawmakers reacted cautiously to the successful conclusion of
   negotiations to forge the world's biggest trading bloc. The
   Trans-Pacific Partnership would reduce trade barriers among 12 Pacific
   Rim nations that account for 40 percent of global economic output.

   Republican Senator John McCain stood out among lawmakers by immediately
   and enthusiastically endorsing the pact.

   "The TPP offers a historic opportunity to reduce trade barriers, open
   new markets, promote made in America exports, and keep American
   companies competitive in one of the most economically vibrant and
   fastest-growing regions in the world," McCain said in a statement.

   Meanwhile, Independent Bernie Sanders, who is running for president as
   a Democrat, promptly proclaimed his fierce opposition, saying it will
   hurt consumers and cost American jobs.

   "I will do all that I can to defeat this agreement," said Sanders in a
   statement. "We need trade policies that benefit American workers and
   consumers, not just the CEOs of large multinational corporations."

   McCain and Sanders are exceptions to a wait-and-see approach that
   currently prevails on Capitol Hill. Many lawmakers approached by VOA
   said they needed time to read the accord and digest its provisions.

   "I haven't read it yet," said Democratic Senator Ed Markey. "I have
   serious questions about it that I am going to have to have answered."

   '''Complex agreement'

   "It's a complex agreement," said Republican Senator Susan Collins.
   "None of us has seen the text yet, so it's premature for me to reach a
   decision."

   Even so, senators who are generally supportive of freer trade are
   voicing apprehensions about TPP's impact on the states they represent.

   "I've been very concerned that the administration was not protecting
   domestic athletic shoe manufacturers like New Balance, which employs
   nearly a thousand people in my state," said Collins of Maine. "So I
   will be looking specifically at the tariffs in that area."

   "I think it's a good idea for us to export the things we grow and make
   to other parts of the world," said Republican John Cornyn of Texas.

   Cornyn, however, adds that some TPP provisions concern him, such as
   "limitations on our protection of our pharmaceutical drugs that we
   invest very heavily in here in the United States, and the rest of the
   world gets the benefit."

   ''Obama touts benefits
   "If we can get this agreement to my desk, then we can help our
   businesses sell more Made in America goods and services around the
   world, and we can help more American workers compete and win,"
   President Barack Obama said in a statement Monday.

   Getting TPP to Obama's desk will require approval in both houses of
   Congress as lawmakers gear up for next year's elections.
   Earlier this year, many Democrats and a few Republicans opposed Trade
   Promotion Authority, or TPA, also known as "fast track," which subjects
   trade pacts to simple majority votes with no amendments allowed. TPA
   ultimately was approved, but foreshadowed a bruising legislative battle
   over the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

   "One of the problems with having passed `fast track' is we can't change
   the agreement," said Collins. "I am not at all convinced that this is
   going to be a fair agreement."

   Republican Orrin Hatch, who helped shepherd TPA through the Senate,
   said TPP cannot survive many defections by lawmakers who support the
   accord in concept but object to some of its provisions.

   "Every vote is a tight vote," said Hatch.
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References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/many-us-lawmakers-non-committal-on-tpp/2993811.html