Congressman Tim Ryan Responds to President Trump's Trade Announcement

Washington, DC — Congressman Tim Ryan (D-OH) made the following statement regarding President Trump's announced plan to formally withdraw the United States from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP): "Together with my fellow Democratic Colleagues, I have fought for many years against this ill-conceived trade agreement that would hurt American workers. I am proud that our message of bringing jobs back to our country and the need for more voices at the table representing labor resonated with the American people. This deal failed because it lacked the necessary support among Republicans and Democrats in Congress and hardworking men and women. This action confirms what I have been saying my whole career: we need to be prioritizing American manufacturing, industries, and workers. "As President Trump considers renegotiating NAFTA, I call on him to remember the workers of Ohio's 13th District who have seen their jobs shipped overseas. In my first campaign in 2002, I ran against this trade agreement that upended our manufacturing sector in Ohio and across the United States. This is an opportunity to create a new trade model that creates standards that protect jobs, our environment, human rights, and American workers. Done incorrectly, President Trump's actions will just as easily make matters worse, doing irreversible and lasting damage. If we allow corporate elites and special interests to dominate the process we will see increased offshoring of jobs, wages continue to be squeezed, and our nation's inequality gap widen. "I stand ready to work to ensure that any future trade agreements protect American workers and create a better and brighter future for our children."