WASHINGTON, Oct. 5, 2015 - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today made the following statement following the successful conclusion of negotiations on the Trans-Pacific Partnership:

"An agreement on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations provides a more level playing field in trade for American farmers. The agreement would eliminate or significantly reduce tariffs on our products and deter non-science based sanitary and phytosanitary barriers that have put American agriculture at a disadvantage in TPP countries in the past. Despite these past barriers, countries in the Trans-Pacific Partnership currently account for up to 42 percent of all U.S. agricultural exports, totaling $63 billion. Thanks to this agreement and its removal of unfair trade barriers, American agricultural exports to the region will expand even further, particularly exports of meat, poultry, dairy, fruits, vegetables, grains, oilseeds, cotton and processed products.

"Increased demand for American agricultural products and expanded agricultural exports as a result of this agreement will support stronger commodity prices and increase farm income. Increased exports under TPP will create more good paying export-related jobs, further strengthening the rural economy. Today, agricultural trade supports more than 1 million jobs here at home and contributes a trade surplus year after year to our nation's economy. All of this activity benefits rural communities and keeps American agriculture on the cutting edge of global commerce. The TPP agreement will contribute to the future strength of American agriculture and helps to ensure that the historic agricultural trade gains achieved under President Obama since 2009 will continue.

"The TPP agreement would not be possible without the extraordinary efforts of the negotiating team at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, assisted by the dedicated staff of USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service and the Office of the Chief Economist. I'd also like to thank the formal trade advisors and experts from agricultural commodity groups who provided valuable market information and creative proposals to better inform U.S. negotiators. Collectively, their efforts have led to a strong deal for American agriculture.

"Failing to grasp this opportunity would be a mistake: worse than just losing out on potential gains, our producers would fall behind other countries that are negotiating their own preferential arrangements in TPP countries. We are committed to working with Congress within the framework of the recently-passed Trade Promotion Authority to obtain a strong bipartisan understanding of and support for this historic trade deal that benefits farmers, ranchers, and all those who live, work and raise families in rural communities."

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In a letter to Deputy Attorney General Sally Quillian Yates, Grassley reminded her that the Justice Department had agreed with the GAO recommendation that whistleblowers who had lodged retaliation complaints at the FBI should receive an estimated time frame for returning a decision on the case.

Grassley's letter outlines a case where the department has already reneged on that commitment.   He wrote that as recently as September 21, 2015, Yates' office stated in an email that "given . . . the demands on [Deputy Attorney General Yates'] time are vast and quite unpredictable, it is not practical to require her to provide the parties with an estimated timeframe...."  Grassley wrote in the letter that the Deputy Attorney General office's admitted inability to provide an estimated time frame to the whistleblower raises questions as to whether appeals of whistleblower retaliation cases should be handled by a different entity.

Grassley led a Judiciary Committee hearing on March 4, 2015, to explore whistleblower retaliation at the FBI.  The hearing scrutinized the legal protections for employees that are weaker than any other agency.  The FBI is not subject to the Whistleblower Protection Act and has its own rules governing whistleblower protections.  Employees have no ability to appeal for an independent judgment outside the Justice Department.

A copy of the signed letter can be found here.