[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 8]
[Senate]
[Page 10457]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       TRADE PROMOTION AUTHORITY

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, the road to yesterday's win for the 
middle class on TPA was never going to be an easy one. It was hardly a 
quick one.
  We always knew that was going to be the case, but I thought we owed 
it to the working men and women of our country to push ahead anyway. So 
we did. Through every bump and twist along the way, Republicans and 
Democrats held together.
  In achieving something that can open more opportunities for working 
families, we proved the growing power of good ideas in the new 
Republican Congress. In passing legislation that can facilitate the 
lowering of barriers and the lifting up of our workers in the 21st 
century, we proved that this is a new Congress that is back to work on 
behalf of the American people.
  Passing trade wasn't the first bipartisan achievement of this new 
Congress, and it won't be the last, but it is significant. It opens the 
door for more wins for the middle class as trade negotiators move 
forward under this President and, importantly, under the next President 
as well.
  I thank everyone who worked with us to get here on both sides of the 
aisle. It is thanks to continued cooperation and no end of 
determination that we were able to achieve another important 
accomplishment for our country.

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