Aaron Martinez

ElPaso

U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke of El Paso will support fast-track trade authority for President Barack Obama to negotiate a sweeping Pacific trade bill, he told the El Paso Times on Thursday - giving Obama a potentially crucial Democratic vote in the House, which is scheduled to decide the issue Friday.

O'Rourke said he will vote for the Trade Promotion Authority that will let Obama negotiate the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement with 11 Pacific Rim countries.

"I listened to a lot of people in the community on all sides of this issue and I've thought about it a lot," O'Rourke said. "I have ultimately decided that the TPA bill lays out some really strong goals and objectives for the president to negotiate with our trading partners to open markets up for our exports, which is good for our economy and could potentially be really good for jobs in El Paso."

O'Rourke's decision disappointed local labor union leaders but pleased business leaders.

Fast-track authority, which Congress has granted to presidents of both parties for more than 70 years, allows the president to negotiate a trade agreement that would not be subject to amendment by Congress.

Even if it approves fast-track authority, Congress would still have to vote on any treaty negotiated by the president. Congress could accept or reject an agreement in its entirety, but not amend it if fast-track authority is given.

In an unusual twist, Obama relied on support of Republicans to win fast-track approval in the Senate and is doing so in the House.

However, Obama needs the support of an estimated 25 or more House Democrats if fast-track is to pass.

O'Rourke has been among a small group of Democrats who had not announced a position on fast-track and has been subjected to intense lobbying by both sides in recent days.

O'Rourke said that he will vote for the fast-track bill because it will ensure that any trade agreement made will have to meet high environmental and labor standards.

"The TPA sets out very strong environmental and labor standards that would be enforceable," O'Rourke said. "This would be the first we have pursued trade negotiations with these kinds of enforceable labor and environmental standards."

The standards in the fast-track bill include enforcing laws on minimum wages, maximum work hours and occupational safety and health standards, O'Rourke said.

Labor union leaders fear that the fast-track bill will lead to passage of the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal which they believe will cost U.S. workers their jobs.

Officials from the Central Labor Union of El Paso were calling for O'Rourke to be against the fast-track bill because of fears that any trade agreements will lead to the loss of jobs to oversea workers and weaken labor unions.

Louie Muñoz, political director of American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees Local 59, one of the organizations that is part of the Central Labor Union of El Paso, said he was not happy with O'Rourke's decision but is hoping for the best.

He said workers in the U.S. and in El Paso will be hurt.

"Hopefully, he (O'Rourke) voted right and this will not affect the workers and the labor organizations like NAFTA (the North American Free Trade Agreement) did," he said.

He added, "We are still suffering from the effects of NAFTA. People can still not find jobs. They were retrained, but they are still unable to find jobs. So how is this going to affect the local people and the border area?"

Richard Dayoub, CEO and president of the Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce, said he disagrees with the unions and believes that if passed the bill will have the opposite effect.

"I spent a lot of time reading the bill in its entirety and they (unions) are misguided," Dayoub said. "It will be the reverse. I think it will help create more jobs in America and without its passage, we would lose jobs."

Dayoub added, "I know firsthand that a lot of companies in America - small, medium and large - rely heavily on their ability to export their products and compete in that area worldwide. If the bill passes as we hope it will, it will better level the playing field with foreign countries."

O'Rourke said that his discussions with union officials have focused more on the Trans-Pacific Partnership than the fast-track bill. He said that if the bill passes, it does not mean the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal will automatically be passed.

"I understand their (unions') views on this and I hear more concerns from them about TPP, concerns which I share with them, than the TPA," O'Rourke said. "TPA again is just giving the president authority to negotiate something. It does not bind me or any other representative of Congress to approve the negotiated agreement."

O'Rourke said he has yet to make a decision on his vote on the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

"I would be inclined to vote yes if the TPP met the very high standards set out in the TPA," O'Rourke said. "These 12 countries comprise 40 percent of global GDP (gross domestic product) and they together have one of the fastest growing middle classes in the world. So the buying power is only going to increase."

In addition, he said, "We are already trading with all of these countries today and we are trading with them at a disadvantage to the U.S. We have some of the lowest tariffs in the world. On the other hand, we face tariffs that are much higher. In some markets we have tariffs approaching 70 percent, so those countries basically charge our exports 70 percent of the value, making them completely uncompetitive in those areas."

The Trans-Pacific Partnership with the conditions set in the fast-track bill could have a big impact on fixing critical issues affecting the worldwide trading market, O'Rourke said.

"Here we have the chance with these countries that we are already trading with to set the rules and standards for trade, open up markets and get in place environmental and labor safe guards," O'Rourke said. "It (fast-track bill) is our leverage to improve trading practices, working conditions and environmental conditions in a big part of the world."

Other congressmen in the El Paso and Southern New Mexico area have yet to announce how they will vote on the fast-track bill and the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal.

U.S. Reps. Will Hurd, a Republican whose district runs from the edges of El Paso County to San Antonio, and Steve Pearce, R-N.M., were unavailable to comment on the fast-track bill.

Aaron Martinez may be reached at 546-6249.