[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 7]
[Senate]
[Page 10012]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                                 TRADE

  Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, when it comes to keeping the American 
people safe, there are many things Congress can do. Encouraging reform 
at the TSA is one important step, but so is leading on trade.
  President Obama's own Secretary of Defense recently said that the 
trade legislation before us was as important to him ``as another 
aircraft carrier.'' This is the Secretary of Defense of the United 
States who said that the trade legislation before us was as important 
to him as another aircraft carrier. But he cautioned that ``time's 
running out [to] cement our influence and leadership in the fastest-
growing region in the world.''
  We all know how critical this legislation is for lifting up American 
workers, American wages, and the American economy as well. We shouldn't 
let this opportunity for a significant bipartisan achievement slip past 
us. If we can continue working together in a spirit of trust and if we 
simply vote the same way we did a couple of weeks ago, we won't miss 
this opportunity.
  I know how important it is--particularly for my friends on the other 
side of the aisle--to get both TPA and TAA, trade adjustment 
assistance. That linkage has been acknowledged from the beginning of 
this process. It is why I set in motion a process last week--filing 
cloture on the vehicles for both TPA and TAA so that we get one done 
followed immediately by the other--that will put both pieces of 
legislation on the President's desk before the July 4 State work 
period.
  I don't want anyone to think we are getting TPA done this week, with 
a promise to get TAA done at some other time. The process this week is 
very clear: We will vote on TPA and then we will vote on TAA. So this 
is how that will look. Tomorrow, we will begin the process of approving 
TPA. The next day, we will begin the process of approving TAA, along 
with the AGOA and preferences measure.
  Before the week is out, I intend to go to conference on the Customs 
bill. This is a bill with broad bipartisan support. Members on both 
sides want to get it done, and we are going to formally begin the 
process to complete our work on the Customs bill. So I am committed to 
concluding work on that conference as quickly as possible. I am sure 
Members on both sides will hold us to that commitment.
  So what does all this mean? It means that with continued bipartisan 
cooperation, we can ensure that TPA, TAA, and AGOA reach the 
President's desk this week, and it means we can ensure that the Customs 
bill is placed on a path to swift approval, too. It was always the goal 
to ensure that these bills passed Congress in the end. It remains the 
bipartisan goal today. We are now on the verge of achieving it. With 
just a little more trust, a little more cooperation, and simply voting 
consistently, we will get there.

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