Defense Authorization And Appropriations

Floor Speech

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Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, following today's encouraging vote over in the House, I wish to update the Senate on where we stand with regard to trade.

First, a brief look back at how we got where we are today. Back in April, the Finance Committee came together to advance four trade bills on a big bipartisan vote. It was everyone's goal at that time to consider all of those bills and to begin the process of passing this significant trade agenda, and it remains everybody's goal now. That is a point that has been proven many times over.

When our Democratic colleagues insisted on tying TAA to TPA, it was difficult for most on my side to swallow. Many in my conference opposed TAA. But with the larger goal in mind--and understanding that for my friends on the other side, TAA has often ridden alongside TPA--we put the two policies together. This was not an easy lift, but in the interest of moving forward, we compromised.

The process was not easy. We had a few close calls. We even worked through a filibuster to address our colleagues' concerns, but all the hard work paid off. It eventually led to a good result at the end of last month, a 62-to-37 vote in the Senate in favor of more opportunities for American paychecks, for American workers and farmers, and for the American economy.

Unfortunately, though, as we all know now, that was not to be the end of the Senate's role in the process. That is OK. Not every plan turns out perfectly every time, but the point is that you don't give up. The American people didn't send us here to sulk but to work through tough problems. So that is what we are going to do.

Here is what it is going to take: No. 1, working together toward the shared goal of a win for the American people; No. 2, trusting each other to get there. I think we can do that.

So here are the next steps. In the judgment of Members of both parties in the House and in the Senate, our best way forward now is to consider TPA and TAA separately. That means TAA will come second after TPA, but the votes will be there to pass it--reluctantly, not happily, but they will be there if it means getting something far more important accomplished for the American people.

To that end, I just filed cloture on the motion to concur with the House-passed TPA bill. I then filed cloture on the AGOA and preferences bill--with an amendment that adds to that bill TAA. This puts the Senate on a procedural glidepath to consider and then pass the TPA bill, the AGOA and preferences bill, and TAA. So assuming everyone has a little faith and votes the same way they did just a few weeks ago, we will be able to get all of those bills to the President soon.

I know there is a fourth bill, too, the Customs bill. Given the complex and thorny procedural processes at work on that bill, we will have to turn to that one as soon as we are able--but we will turn to it. It will have to go to a conference committee and then return to the Senate floor, where it, too, will be passed and sent to the White House.

I know it is hard to do, but if we step back a few paces and recall what we were all asking for just a few weeks ago, we should be able to take some satisfaction in all of this. It means that before July 4, the President will have signed TPA, TAA, and the AGOA and preferences bill, and we will be well on our way toward enactment of a robust Customs package. All of that together would be quite an accomplishment. All it is going to take is some hard work, some faith in one another, and everybody voting the same way the next time they voted the last time.

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