{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://blumenauer.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/thompson-blumenauer-call-obama-administration-work-congress-fair-tpa", "Thompson, Blumenauer Call on Obama Administration to Work with Congress on Fair TPA Legislation that Creates Jobs and Grows U.S. Economy", "2013-11-13", "2013", "2013-11", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Earl Blumenauer", "B000574", "blumenauer.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Dear President Obama:\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tWe support your stated goal of promoting American exports and eliminating barriers to trade. We are optimistic that such efforts, done correctly, will grow our economy and lead to more well-paying U.S. jobs by expanding access to U.S. goods and services abroad and leveling the playing field for American companies and workers.\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tTo pursue this goal, we understand that your Administration plans to work with Congress to craft new legislation reauthorizing Trade Promotion Authority (TPA). To gain the broadest possible support for TPA in Congress, this proposal cannot just be an extension of earlier trade promotion authorities. Any new proposed TPA must reflect the changing nature of international trade and ensure that Congress plays a more meaningful role in the negotiating process than in the 2002 TPA, which did not receive large bipartisan support in the House of Representatives.\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tMoreover, we believe that any proposed negotiating authority should help our country and its workers better compete in the modern global economy. A new TPA should include incentives to help keep well-paying jobs at home, and to help spur new American innovation and job creation across all sectors of our economy. A new TPA should also include a reauthorization of Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) programs to help retrain workers impacted by changing global trade and by the implementation of trade agreements. Finally, any new TPA should strengthen our trade laws and adequately fund our trade enforcement agencies so that we can hold other countries accountable and ensure they adhere to their commitments and provide fair market access.\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tWe note that a well crafted TPA can help build on the progress Congress has made to transform American trade policy into more than just a means to eliminating trade barriers, but as a tool for improving the working conditions and environmental protections among our trading partners through enforceable, meaningful standards . For example, the May 10thAgreement, which incorporated significant improvements in labor and environmental commitments into previous agreements, should serve as a baseline for future agreements.\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tWe believe that TPA must reflect a trade policy that not only creates and strengthens jobs here in the U.S. and improves market access, but also promotes high-quality standards abroad thatprevent a race to the bottom.\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tThank you for your attention to this letter. We look forward to your response.\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tSincerely,\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tMIKE THOMPSON                                             \n\t\t\t\t\tMember of Congress\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tEARL BLUMENAUER         \n\t\t\t\t\tMember of Congress   \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tCHARLES B. RANGEL                                           \n\t\t\t\t\tMember of Congress\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tJIM McDERMOTT  \n\t\t\t\t\tMember of Congress\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tJOHN LEWIS  \n\t\t\t\t\tMember of Congress\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tXAVIER BECERRA  \n\t\t\t\t\tMember of Congress                                     \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tJOHN B. LARSON  \n\t\t\t\t\tMember of Congress\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tBILL PASCRELL, JR.  \n\t\t\t\t\tMember of Congress\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tALLYSON Y. SCHWARTZ  \n\t\t\t\t\tMember of Congress\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tDANNY K. DAVIS  \n\t\t\t\t\tMember of Congress\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tDORIS O. MATSUI  \n\t\t\t\t\tMember of Congress\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tJAMES A. HIMES  \n\t\t\t\t\tMember of Congress\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tSUZANNE BONAMICI  \n\t\t\t\t\tMember of Congress", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://blumenauer.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/thompson-blumenauer-call-obama-administration-work-congress-fair-tpa"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 3.276399802416563, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}