TPA Joins Coalition Letter on Tariffs and Trade Legislation

Trade continues to be a key issue in Washington long after the passage of Trade Promotion Authority (TPA). Taxpayers Protection Alliance worked aggressively to get TPA over the finish line but that was just one core component of ensuring that trade can move forward in a positive for taxpayers and the economy. Currently, in H.R. 644, the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015 is working its way through Congress and how lawmakers deal with Miscellaneous Trade Bills (MTBs) will be important. MTBs provide relief from tariffs on highly-sought finished goods and raw materials brought into the United States and that is why Taxpayers Protection Alliance joined an effort led by National Taxpayers Union signing this letter urging Congress to find a way forward on MTBSs.

Read the full letter below:

September 11, 2015

On behalf our organizations’ members across the country, we urge you to create a path forward for Miscellaneous Trade Bills (MTBs) in H.R. 644, the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015.

MTBs allow Congress to reduce tariffs, which are nothing more than taxes on American consumers and businesses. While we would prefer broader, more comprehensive approaches to tariff reductions, MTBs have long served as a bipartisan approach to lessening the burden of government and increasing economic growth. Indeed, since they provide relief from tariffs on highly-sought finished goods and raw materials brought into the United States, MTBs deliver advantages to our consumers and businesses above all others. Congress should not allow this opportunity to pass it by once again. It should pass legislation that allows for permanent tariff reductions on as many product categories as possible.

At the same time, Congress must ensure that MTBs do not give undue consideration to special interests in Washington. To that end, the House and Senate should reform the process so that individual companies request tariff relief from the International Trade Commission, rather than appealing directly to Members of Congress. This would greatly benefit taxpayers by increasing transparency and accountability. Additionally, Congress should ensure that the ITC does not use MTBs to reward or deny tariff relief based on political considerations.

Congress has not passed an MTB package since 2010. It’s time to act. We urge you to include language in H.R. 644 that will allow Congress to pass MTBs, thereby reducing unnecessary tariffs and strengthening the economy here at home.

Sincerely,

Brandon Arnold, Executive Vice President, National Taxpayers Union

Tom Schatz, President, Council for Citizens Against Government Waste

Jeffrey Mazzella, President, Center for Individual Freedom

Fran Smith, Board Member and Adjunct Fellow, Competitive Enterprise Institute

Lori Sanders, Outreach Director and Senior Fellow, R Street Institute

Karen Kerrigan, President and CEO, Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council

Lisa Nelson, CEO, The Jeffersonian Project, An Affiliate of the American Legislative Exchange Council

David Williams, President, Taxpayers Protection Alliance