The prospects of a TPP vote coming soon might be improving slightly as some politicians are bringing the issue to the forefront.
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. Republican Senator and chair of the senate finance committee Orrin Hatch of Utah reportedly says 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.