Several prominent politicians have recently made comments that would seem to boost prospects for a vote on the Trans-Pacific Partnership in the lame-duck session of Congress after the elections. A Minnesota Ag Connection report says Republican Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah is Chair of the Senate Finance Committee, which has authority in trade matters, and he said the upper chamber could consider TPP during a lame duck session. Texas Republican Kevin Brady, Chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, echoed Hatch in an interview with the Texas Tribune. Brady told the newspaper it’s a mistake to withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership because if America abandons the Asian markets, “we will lose.” Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has come out against the deal, but former President Bill Clinton recently indicated that she would like changes to the deal but would support it as president. Iowa State University economist Dermont Hayes said the TPP would cause pork exports to jump exponentially as the product moves overseas to the other 11 nations in the deal. Hayes said the exports would directly tie to 10,000 new jobs in the U.S.
From the National Association of Farm Broadcasting news service.