1Urging the President and the Congress of the United States to
2consider the impact of free trade agreements on the American
3economy.

4WHEREAS, The United States currently has many international
5free trade agreements in place with foreign countries; and

6WHEREAS, In addition to the free trade agreements the United
7States has created with individual countries, the United States
8is a partner in several multinational free trade agreements,
9such as the recently implemented Transatlantic Trade and
10Investment Partnership and the nearly 20 year old North American
11Free Trade Agreement; and

12WHEREAS, The Office of the United States Trade Representative
13recently announced that President Obama is currently in
14negotiations for a new international free trade agreement, known
15as the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP); and

16WHEREAS, If agreed to, TPP will be among the largest free
17trade agreements in the world, comprising the United States and
18eleven other Pacific-bordering countries, including Australia,
 

1Brunei, Chile, Canada, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, 
2Peru, Singapore and Vietnam; and

3WHEREAS, Historically, American workers, small businesses and
4human rights activists have questioned the United States'
5decision to engage in free trade agreements with countries whose
6labor conditions and wage standards are less than that of the
7United States; and

8WHEREAS, Some of the countries engaged with the United States
9in free trade agreements impose policies that conflict with
10American protections on intellectual property rights, which can
11place the future of patented American designs, ideas and
12products at risk; and

13WHEREAS, Over the years, critics have attributed the closure
14of thousands of American small businesses, the infringement on
15American intellectual property and the loss of millions of
16family-sustaining American jobs to international free trade
17agreements; and

18WHEREAS, American small business owners are struggling to
19compete with multinational corporations who have moved
20manufacturing facilities out of the United States; and

21WHEREAS, The United States is in a fragile state of economic
22recovery as millions of hard-working Americans continue to
23search for good-paying jobs to support themselves and their
24families; and

25WHEREAS, States across the nation are focusing on policies
26that can spur economic growth, create jobs and incentivize
27businesses to keep jobs in America; therefore be it

28RESOLVED, That Pennsylvania House of Representatives urge the
29President and the Congress of the United States to consider the
30impacts of free trade agreements on the American economy prior

1to authorizing additional multinational free trade agreements,
2such as TPP; and be it further

3RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to
4the President, the presiding officers of each house of Congress
5and to each member of Congress from Pennsylvania.