Mike Rogers Revises Stance on Free Trade Agreements Amid Senate Campaign
In a recent development, former Representative Mike Rogers, now a Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate in Michigan, has expressed concerns about free trade agreements (FTAs), despite his previous support for such deals during his tenure in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2001 to 2015.
FTAs aim to reduce or eliminate barriers like tariffs and import quotas between nations, making it more affordable for American companies to import goods. However, critics argue that these agreements encourage companies to move jobs overseas to countries with cheaper labor costs and less stringent regulations.
Both political parties have had members supporting and opposing FTAs over the years.
Rogers, in a July interview with NewsNation, criticized FTAs for negatively impacting Michigan’s manufacturing industry and advocated for new tariffs on foreign imports. “The trade issue here has been very, very unfair,” Rogers stated. “If you look at a state like Michigan, when the rest of the country catches a cold, we get pneumonia here in the manufacturing sector. When you don’t have policies, trade policies or engagement policies around the world that make it fair for us to compete, that’s a problem. When people say America first, what they’re saying is let’s have some reciprocal trade agreements. If they tax our car 25%, let’s tax their car 25%.”
Rogers’ views align with those of former President Donald Trump, who has emphasized tariffs as a key economic strategy. Trump has proposed new tariffs to reduce grocery costs, a move that could lead to higher consumer prices as grocers face increased expenses for imported goods.
Trump supports the Reciprocal Trade Act, which would allow the president to impose new tariffs, effectively reversing existing FTAs. Rogers indicated his support for this legislation in a Washington Examiner interview in July.
Despite his current stance, Rogers was involved in negotiating the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) in 2014. His office crafted a form letter endorsing TPP and FTAs broadly, stating, “It is important to note that in order for any TPP agreement negotiated to come into force, legislation implementing the agreement must be passed by both houses of Congress. I believe America has the best workers in the world, and while I support efforts such as the TPP negotiations to expand free trade, I believe that we must enforce fair trade.”
Though TPP was not finalized by January 2017, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and President Trump opposed it, with Trump withdrawing from the negotiations upon taking office.
Between 2008 and 2011, Rogers voted 12 times to advance various FTAs, including the Central America-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA), and voted four times between 2001 and 2008 to limit congressional oversight of FTAs.
In December 2001, Rogers expressed his support for FTAs in an email to constituents, stating, “So long as open trade is fair, I believe free trade has the possibility to create new markets for America’s farmers, workers, service providers, and high-tech entrepreneurs. It will also fuel the engines of economic growth that create new jobs and new income for Michigan businesses and their employees.”
During his first reelection campaign, the Michigan Republican Party highlighted “enforcing free trade” as one of Rogers’ legislative priorities in mailers.
The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), implemented in 1994, is a prominent FTA often blamed for offshoring and a decline in American manufacturing. According to the New York Times, NAFTA contributed to the closure of 90,000 American factories, and CNN states Michigan lost nearly 300,000 manufacturing jobs since 2000.
In a 2000 C-SPAN interview, Rogers remarked, “NAFTA is going to be good for America.” The AP also identified him as a NAFTA supporter that month.
Rogers is competing against Democratic candidate Rep. Elissa Slotkin in the Senate race, with a Siena College poll from September showing Slotkin leading Rogers 47% to 42%.
“`
—
Read More Kitchen Table News
