Quigley Calls for Strong Environmental Protections in Trade Negotiations
WASHINGTON – Today, Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05) joined more than 120 members of the House of Representatives to send a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman, urging him to insist on strong, enforceable environmental protections in negotiations on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal.
"The United States has the opportunity to lead the way in current TPP negotiations and ensure strong environmental protections are part of future agreements. A true 21st century trade agreement must address global environmental problems like climate change, promote the conservation of natural resources and protect American businesses and workers," said Rep. Quigley.
The letter calls for enforceable environmental protections that will promote better forests, oceans and wildlife conservation and sustainable natural resources management. These stronger protections will also level the playing field for U.S. businesses that are routinely at a competitive disadvantage because of poor or unevenly enforced environmental laws in other countries.
Rep. Quigley is a stalwart supporter of the environment and a member of the House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition. He recently received one of the highest scores from the League of Conservation Voters for his record on environmental issues. He has urged his colleagues in the House to put partisanship aside and craft America's first national energy plan. He has opposed the environmentally harmful Keystone XL pipeline and recently fought to protect America's public lands from weakened environmental standards.
The full letter and list of signatories can be found here.
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