The American Action Network, an independent advocacy organization with ties to House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH), has announced a $900,000 campaign to push for passage of Trade Promotion Authority, a key component of President Obama’s trade agenda.
The campaign, announced Thursday, includes a television ad that will air nationally on Fox News from June 5 – 11.
“China is trying to stack the deck on international trade and America must respond if we’re to stay number one. Predictably, the liberals and labor unions advocate weakness abroad. But conservatives need to stand up for American jobs and rebuild U.S. credibility around the world by passing the Trade Promotion Authority,” the narrator says in the television ad, encouraging the viewer to call Congress.
“Because if we don’t lead on trade, China will,” the ad concludes.
The AAN campaign for TPA also includes a mailing effort in 25 GOP-held districts, a digital ad campaign in 65 (60 GOP-held, 5 Democrat-held) districts, and a radio ad in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama.
The TPA passed the Senate last month and is slated to come up for a vote in the House in the coming weeks. The legislation faces an uphill climb with conservatives and Democrats..
The establishment group argues, however, it is the conservative position to be in favor of TPA.
“The conservative choice on trade is to be for TPA,” AAN President Mike Shields said in a statement. “If we don’t pass a bill that allows America more access to trade, then China will have a bigger share of the market and keep rigging international trade. It’s a question of who you want to lead: the U.S. or China. We’re at a critical juncture here and passing TPA will have a huge economic impact and hold Obama accountable by putting Congress in the trade fight.”
The AAN has angered conservatives in the recent past when the group ran ads attacking conservative Republicans who opposed funding the Department of Homeland Security without combatting executive amnesty.
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