cawacko
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We used to be pro-growth and pro-trade. Guess that's largely out the window.
GOP Platform Panel Moves Toward Trump’s Positions on Trade, Immigration
Committee adopts ‘America First’ trade language, tougher stand on illegal immigration and China relations
A Republican Party panel on Tuesday adopted policy language that largely adheres to presumptive presidential nominee Donald Trump’s protectionist view of foreign trade and immigration, moving the platform closer to its presumptive nominee and away from positions long held by party leaders.
The GOP Platform Committee’s document represents a stark and formal change from the party’s recent history, calling for an “America First” policy toward trade deals that echoes Mr. Trump’s campaign slogan and instituting harsh penalties for illegal immigration.
The 112 Platform Committee delegates refrained from taking a position on the North American Free Trade Agreement or the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a major pending trade agreement among 12 Pacific Rim nations that Mr. Trump has pledged to kill. Language opposing enacting the TPP while President Barack Obama is in office was stripped from a draft document on Monday.
Instead delegates on the GOP’s Platform Committee backed general language condemning trade deficits while calling international trade “crucial.” The final document is likely be approved by the full Republican National Convention when it convenes here next week.
“We need better negotiated trade agreements that put America first,” the platform reads. “We cannot allow foreign governments to limit American access to their markets while stealing our designs, patents, brands, know-how and technology.”
Mr. Trump laid out his own “America First” policy during a June trade speech that called for pulling out of Nafta and killing the TPP.
In a sign of the fear of establishment Republicans of Mr. Trump’s potential influence on the platform, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce considered it a victory that the platform won’t contain any language about Nafta or TPP.
“This aside, the chamber’s message on trade is a consistent one,” spokeswoman Blair Holmes said. “Trade is beneficial to jobs, growth, opportunity, and American competitiveness.”
Delegates also adopted platform language calling for a five-year prison sentence for any undocumented immigrant caught trying to return to the country illegally after being deported. The committee approved an amendment on the matter that was sponsored by Joe Gruters, the state co-chairman of Mr. Trump’s campaign in Florida.
The committee briefly debated what such a measure would cost federal taxpayers but in the end dismissed such concerns.
“Illegal immigration is costing us unimaginable amounts of money and I don’t think this adds to that,” said delegate Ben Marchi of Maryland.
After a draft platform prepared by RNC staffers called for “construction of a physical barrier” “at our vulnerable borders,” subcommittee delegates altered the language to call specifically for a wall, as Mr. Trump has demanded.
The platform also states that refugees “that cannot be carefully vetted cannot be admitted to the country, especially those whose homelands have been the breeding grounds for terrorism.” Mr. Trump has called for forbidding Syrian refugees from entering the country.
The party’s 2012 platform made no mention of political refugees, and its 2013 report explaining the party’s loss in the presidential campaign called specifically for Republicans to embrace comprehensive immigration reform to help win support from Hispanic voters.
Mr. Trump is under no obligation to follow the party platform, a document that describes the party’s core policy positions, values and beliefs. Past nominees such as Mitt Romney, John McCain and Bob Dole ignored or opposed large segments of the party’s official platform.
Four years ago, the party’s platform enthusiastically embraced multilateral trade agreements broadly and specifically called for adopting the Pacific Rim trade deal. Then, Republicans placed their trust in American workers to outperform foreign competitors.
“Because American workers have shown that, on a truly level playing field, they can surpass the competition in international trade, we call for the restoration of presidential Trade Promotion Authority,” read the 2012 Republican platform, which remains on the party’s website. “A Republican President will complete negotiations for a Trans-Pacific Partnership to open rapidly developing Asian markets to U.S. products.”
The new document’s language is also far tougher on China. In 2012, the party said a Republican president would “insist on full parity in trade with China and stand ready to impose countervailing duties if China fails to amend its currency policies.”
Now the party’s platform has taken any ambiguity out of how it sees the nation’s relationship with China. The 2016 platform explicitly states that China manipulates its currency and laments Obama administration policy toward the country.
“We cannot allow China to continue its currency manipulation, exclusion of U.S. products from government purchases, and subsidization of Chinese companies to thwart American imports,” the new platform states. “The current administration’s way of dealing with these violations of world trade standards has been a virtual surrender.”
The Platform Committee’s meetings are expected to conclude Tuesday afternoon.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/gop-platform-panel-adopts-america-first-trade-language-1468334050
GOP Platform Panel Moves Toward Trump’s Positions on Trade, Immigration
Committee adopts ‘America First’ trade language, tougher stand on illegal immigration and China relations
A Republican Party panel on Tuesday adopted policy language that largely adheres to presumptive presidential nominee Donald Trump’s protectionist view of foreign trade and immigration, moving the platform closer to its presumptive nominee and away from positions long held by party leaders.
The GOP Platform Committee’s document represents a stark and formal change from the party’s recent history, calling for an “America First” policy toward trade deals that echoes Mr. Trump’s campaign slogan and instituting harsh penalties for illegal immigration.
The 112 Platform Committee delegates refrained from taking a position on the North American Free Trade Agreement or the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a major pending trade agreement among 12 Pacific Rim nations that Mr. Trump has pledged to kill. Language opposing enacting the TPP while President Barack Obama is in office was stripped from a draft document on Monday.
Instead delegates on the GOP’s Platform Committee backed general language condemning trade deficits while calling international trade “crucial.” The final document is likely be approved by the full Republican National Convention when it convenes here next week.
“We need better negotiated trade agreements that put America first,” the platform reads. “We cannot allow foreign governments to limit American access to their markets while stealing our designs, patents, brands, know-how and technology.”
Mr. Trump laid out his own “America First” policy during a June trade speech that called for pulling out of Nafta and killing the TPP.
In a sign of the fear of establishment Republicans of Mr. Trump’s potential influence on the platform, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce considered it a victory that the platform won’t contain any language about Nafta or TPP.
“This aside, the chamber’s message on trade is a consistent one,” spokeswoman Blair Holmes said. “Trade is beneficial to jobs, growth, opportunity, and American competitiveness.”
Delegates also adopted platform language calling for a five-year prison sentence for any undocumented immigrant caught trying to return to the country illegally after being deported. The committee approved an amendment on the matter that was sponsored by Joe Gruters, the state co-chairman of Mr. Trump’s campaign in Florida.
The committee briefly debated what such a measure would cost federal taxpayers but in the end dismissed such concerns.
“Illegal immigration is costing us unimaginable amounts of money and I don’t think this adds to that,” said delegate Ben Marchi of Maryland.
After a draft platform prepared by RNC staffers called for “construction of a physical barrier” “at our vulnerable borders,” subcommittee delegates altered the language to call specifically for a wall, as Mr. Trump has demanded.
The platform also states that refugees “that cannot be carefully vetted cannot be admitted to the country, especially those whose homelands have been the breeding grounds for terrorism.” Mr. Trump has called for forbidding Syrian refugees from entering the country.
The party’s 2012 platform made no mention of political refugees, and its 2013 report explaining the party’s loss in the presidential campaign called specifically for Republicans to embrace comprehensive immigration reform to help win support from Hispanic voters.
Mr. Trump is under no obligation to follow the party platform, a document that describes the party’s core policy positions, values and beliefs. Past nominees such as Mitt Romney, John McCain and Bob Dole ignored or opposed large segments of the party’s official platform.
Four years ago, the party’s platform enthusiastically embraced multilateral trade agreements broadly and specifically called for adopting the Pacific Rim trade deal. Then, Republicans placed their trust in American workers to outperform foreign competitors.
“Because American workers have shown that, on a truly level playing field, they can surpass the competition in international trade, we call for the restoration of presidential Trade Promotion Authority,” read the 2012 Republican platform, which remains on the party’s website. “A Republican President will complete negotiations for a Trans-Pacific Partnership to open rapidly developing Asian markets to U.S. products.”
The new document’s language is also far tougher on China. In 2012, the party said a Republican president would “insist on full parity in trade with China and stand ready to impose countervailing duties if China fails to amend its currency policies.”
Now the party’s platform has taken any ambiguity out of how it sees the nation’s relationship with China. The 2016 platform explicitly states that China manipulates its currency and laments Obama administration policy toward the country.
“We cannot allow China to continue its currency manipulation, exclusion of U.S. products from government purchases, and subsidization of Chinese companies to thwart American imports,” the new platform states. “The current administration’s way of dealing with these violations of world trade standards has been a virtual surrender.”
The Platform Committee’s meetings are expected to conclude Tuesday afternoon.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/gop-platform-panel-adopts-america-first-trade-language-1468334050
