Chamber urges lawmakers to pass worker-assistance measure

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce sent a letter Monday to Senators urging the extension trade preferences and worker assistance programs as part of a measure set for consideration this week.

The Chamber, considers the vote renew the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), which expired in December, and the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) amendment as so-called key votes. 

“GSP and TAA are important programs that the Chamber has supported over the course of many years," said Bruce Josten, the Chamber's executive vice president for government affairs. 

Eventual passage of the combined GSP-TAA bill will "create a path forward for approval of the pending trade agreements with South Korea, Colombia and Panama, which are among the Chamber’s top legislative priorities this year.”

"The Chamber believes the resulting bill reflects a thoughtful compromise that preserves the more effective elements of the five-decades old TAA program, eliminates aspects that have proven less effective, and significantly reduces its cost," Josten wrote.  

"The legislation is respectful of the difficult fiscal circumstances facing the United States, and we believe it deserves support.

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The Chamber's letter runs counter to a call by Club for Growth, appealing to Senators to vote against the legislation. 

The Senate is voting now on a cloture motion to move forward with the bill. The measure is expected to easily get the 60 votes needed.

The Chamber has been a steady proponent of TAA.

A Chamber study found that GSP supports tens of thousands of U.S. jobs while promoting economic growth in developing countries by providing duty-free access to the U.S. market for 4,800 selected products from 129 developing countries. 

In 2010, U.S. imports under GSP surpassed $23 billion, the letter said.