Cruz Campaign Press Release - ICYMI: Cruz discusses Trade Promotion Authority and Trans-Pacific Partnership

HOUSTON, Texas — Today U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, joined the Hugh Hewitt Show to discuss TPA/TPP, his op-ed on redefining the mission against ISIS, and the NDAA.

On TPA/TPP, Sen. Cruz said:

TPA is Trade Promotion Authority, it's also known as fast track.

That is the process by which free trade agreements are negotiated. Historically, since FDR virtually every president has had fast track authority. What fast track provides is simply if a free trade agreement is negotiated, that Congress will vote on it up or down without amendments and history has demonstrated for the last 80 years that the only way to get free trade agreements adopted is to have fast track. That if there is no fast track, free trade agreements do not end up being negotiated.

TPA is what the Senate voted on recently. I voted in favor of fast track because I support free trade. I think free trade benefits America. It creates jobs — opening markets to our farmers, to our ranchers, to our manufacturers, improves economic growth. In Texas alone, roughly 3 million jobs depend on international trade.

And if you support free trade, the only way history has shown free trade agreements get negotiated is through fast track.

Now there is a second issue which has caused a great deal of confusion and that is TPP...it is one specific trade deal that is being negotiated. It is separate from TPA. Congress has not voted on TPP, and there's a great deal of concern about TPP.

Now, I have not voted on TPP, and I haven't decided if I will support it or not, because the negotiation isn't complete, and I'm going to wait and review and see what the agreement is first before assessing if it would be beneficial or harmful.