Congresswoman Renee Ellmers: Supporting Transparency & Accountability in Trade Agreements

Video of the Week:

I was on the House floor until 1:30 am Thursday morning continuing the fight for the 440th Airlift Wing. I proposed an amendment to the Department of Defense Appropriations’ Act which would have prohibited the Air Force from carrying out deactivation of the Wing– it also would have put an end to the Air Force prematurely hollowing out the 440th Airlift Wing before our work here in Congress is done. The Air Force needs to provide time for our legislative efforts to work through the policy process. Click here or on the image above to see my speech.

Weekly Update:

Today marks an important day for U.S. trade with the passage of H.R. 1314, the Trade Priorities and Accountability Act, which reauthorizes the Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) and strengthens Congress’ role in trade policy. Without the TPA, President Obama would be calling the shots when it comes to trade and Congress would have little to no input.

However, this legislation promises congressional oversight and more transparency with trade negotiations. According to the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service, the TPA grants no new power to the president and instead gives authority back to Congress, allowing us to read through and make changes to any trade deal before voting on it. With the TPA, we can establish our expectations to the president, rather than being susceptible to his unilateral whims. Read my full statement here.

Also this week, I was privileged to be the keynote speaker at the annual National Leadership Summit on 340B. The Summit was held to allow stakeholders of 340B to come together to identify ways to ensure the program adheres to its original intent, to help Medicare patients afford expensive prescription drugs, and remains sustainable by driving critical improvements. I spoke on the need for transparency and oversight within the program and heard other innovative ideas from leaders in the healthcare community.

I hope you will scroll down to see more of what my week looked like. As always, please reach out to my office if there is anything I can do for you.

Trade By the Numbers

These numbers show how integral trade is to North Carolina’s economy. We need strong and enforceable trade agreements in order to keep North Carolina at the forefront of the industries we lead in: fibers and threads, tobacco products, poultry, peanuts and cotton!

Sustaining Important Medicare Programs

Thursday, I had the opportunity to speak with a diverse group of stakeholders and health industry leaders regarding the 340B Medicaid Drug Pricing Program. This program was designed to help underserved populations receive affordable prescription drugs, but agencies have recently voiced concerns that the program may not be as transparent, effective and accountable as it needs to be.

As the keynote speaker, I was able to provide stakeholders on how the House Energy & Commerce Committee is working to improve this program’s long-term viability through transparency and accountability.

Talking TPA on the Radio

I hope you will take a moment to listen to my interview about the Trade Promotion Authority Act with Bill LuMaye, where I dispel some of the misinformation circulating. TPA is a tool to enhance congressional involvement and oversight during trade negotiations. TPA is not a resource to give the president new or additional power. TPA is hugely beneficial for producing the strongest possible trade deal for our country and all North Carolinians.

Transparency Through TPA

Many folks have been concerned about the secrecy of future trade deals. I would encourage you all to look at this blog post, which spells out how TPA –legislation we voted on in the House this week– establishes new transparency measures to ensure Congress and the American people are well-informed every step of the way.

As pointed out in the Ways & Means post, here are the transparency measures TPA will put into law. Under TPA, every member of Congress will be able to:

Read Negotiating Text: Allows every member of Congress to read the negotiating text.
Receive Detailed Briefings: Requires the U.S. Trade Representative’s office to brief any interested member on the status of negotiations at any time.
Attend Negotiating Rounds: Allows any member to become a “congressional adviser” and as a result eligible to attend negotiating rounds.
Provide Guidance: Creates House and Senate Advisory Groups to oversee negotiations and receive regular briefings. Any member can submit views.
Coordinate with Public and Advisory Committees: Lays down guidelines on public engagement and sharing information with advisory committees.
Receive Adequate Time to Review deal: Requires the President to publish the text of a completed trade agreement 60 days before signing it.
Consult with a New Transparency Officer: Creates a chief transparency officer at USTR that will consult with Congress and advise USTR on transparency policies.

CategoriesNC Elected Officials