Ted Cruz on Hugh Hewitt
HH: Let’s take that opportunity, then, to go and talk about free trade. TPA, TPP, Export-Import Bank, Senator Cruz, for clarity’s sake, can you quickly give us an overview of where you are on those three issues as there’s quite a lot of confusion among conservative voters as to where different people are and why on each of those three issues?
TC: Sure. There is a lot of confusion, and there’s unfortunately a lot of misinformation that you can get on the internet, that people are confused. So let’s explain what each of those three are. TPA is trade promotion authority. That’s also known as fast track. That is the process through 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, the Congress will vote on it up or down without amendment. 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 three million jobs depend upon international trade. And if you support free trade, the only way history has shown free trade agreements get negotiated is with fast track. Now there is a second issue that’s caused a great deal of confusion, and that is TPP.
HH: Trans-Pacific Partnership.
TC: Correct, and that is one specific trade deal that is currently 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.
HH: And you were against Export-Import, and I told people that, and we disagree on that. But I just wanted people to understand you were yes on TPA, undecided on TPP, no on Export-Import.
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 three million jobs depend upon international trade. And if you support free trade, the only way history has shown free trade agreements get negotiated is with fast track. Now there is a second issue that’s caused a great deal of confusion, and that is TPP. Yeah, like NAFTA. So where has free trade gotten us in terms of the American worker? Depressed wages and the lowest labor participation rates in 38 years. And of course, free trade means the other countries can violate the agreement with impunity and the US does nothing except run bigger and bigger trade deficits.
This bill is all about payback to the corporate paymasters who fund the politicians who do their bidding. The corporations owe no allegiance to the US. They can locate anywhere.