[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 298 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 298

 Calling on the President to abstain from renegotiating international 
     agreements governing antidumping and countervailing measures.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 22, 1999

 Mr. Visclosky  (for himself, Mr. Ney, Mr. Traficant, Mr. Regula, Mr. 
Murtha, Mr. Quinn, Mr. Gephardt, Mr. English, Mr. Bonior, Mr. Norwood, 
Mr. Dingell, Mr. Young of Florida, Mr. Matsui, Mr. Houghton, Mr. Levin, 
  Mr. Callahan, Mr. Coyne, Mr. Kasich, Mr. Neal of Massachusetts, Mr. 
   Wise, Mr. Klink, Mr. Mollohan, Mr. Aderholt, Mr. Strickland, Mr. 
Coburn, Mr. LaFalce, Mr. Skeen, Mr. Oberstar, Mr. Bachus, Ms. Stabenow, 
Mr. Peterson of Pennsylvania, Mr. Cardin, Mr. LaTourette, Mr. Conyers, 
  Mr. Manzullo, Mr. Mascara, Mr. Foley, Mr. Doyle, Mr. McIntosh, Mr. 
Evans, Mr. Buyer, Ms. Kaptur, Mr. Burton of Indiana, Mr. Costello, Mr. 
 Walsh, Mr. Brown of Ohio, Mr. Gekas, Mr. Frost, Mr. Ehrlich, Mr. Hall 
 of Texas, Mr. Greenwood, Mr. Blagojevich, Mr. Horn, Mr. Lipinski, Mr. 
  Cook, Mr. Cramer, Mr. Gutierrez, Mrs. Jones of Ohio, Mr. Pitts, Mr. 
Kucinich, Mrs. Chenoweth, Mr. Stupak, Mr. McHugh, Mr. Abercrombie, Mr. 
 Cannon, Mr. Spratt, Mr. Shows, Mr. McGovern, Mr. Hinchey, Mr. Rahall, 
    Mr. Riley, Mr. Hoeffel, Mr. Clyburn, Mr. DeFazio, Mr. Boyd, Mr. 
    Weygand, Mr. Hilliard, Mr. Sandlin, Mr. Borski, Mr. Maloney of 
  Connecticut, Mr. Cummings, Ms. Danner, Mr. Turner, Mr. Roemer, Ms. 
DeLauro, Mr. Pallone, Mr. Filner, Mr. Andrews, Mr. Barcia, Mr. Davis of 
   Illinois, Mr. Capuano, Mrs. Thurman, Mr. Bishop, Mr. Sawyer, Mr. 
 Jackson of Illinois, Mr. Brady of Pennsylvania, Ms. Brown of Florida, 
 Ms. Lee, Mr. Kildee, Mr. Green of Texas, Mr. Berry, Mr. Delahunt, Mr. 
Hayes, Mr. Holden, Mr. Rush, Mr. Lampson, Ms. Kilpatrick, Mr. Tierney, 
Ms. Schakowsky, Mr. Bilirakis, Mr. Wexler, Mr. McNulty, Mr. Vento, Mr. 
   Minge, Mrs. Meek of Florida, and Mr. Faleomavaega) submitted the 
 following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and 
                                 Means

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Calling on the President to abstain from renegotiating international 
     agreements governing antidumping and countervailing measures.

Whereas the House of Representatives is deeply concerned that, in connection 
        with the World Trade Organization (``WTO'') Ministerial meeting to be 
        held in Seattle, Washington, and the multilateral trade negotiations 
        expected to follow, a few countries are seeking to circumvent the agreed 
        list of negotiating topics and reopen debate over the WTO's antidumping 
        and antisubsidy rules;
Whereas strong antidumping and antisubsidy rules are a cornerstone of the 
        liberal trade policy of the United States and are essential to the 
        health of the manufacturing and farm sectors in the United States;
Whereas it has long been and remains the policy of the United States to support 
        its antidumping and antisubsidy laws and to defend those laws in 
        international negotiations;
Whereas the WTO antidumping and antisubsidy rules concluded in the Uruguay Round 
        have scarcely been tested since they entered into effect and certainly 
        have not proved defective;
Whereas opening these rules to renegotiation could only lead to weakening them, 
        which would in turn lead to even greater abuse of the world's open 
        markets, particularly that of the United States;
Whereas, conversely, avoiding another divisive fight over these rules is the 
        best way to promote progress on the other, far more important, issues 
        facing WTO members; and
Whereas it is therefore essential that negotiations on these antidumping and 
        antisubsidy matters not be reopened under the auspices of the WTO or 
        otherwise: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives calls upon the 
President--
            (1) not to participate in any international negotiation in 
        which antidumping or antisubsidy rules are part of the 
        negotiating agenda;
            (2) to refrain from submitting for congressional approval 
        agreements that require changes to the current antidumping and 
        countervailing duty laws and enforcement policies of the United 
        States; and
            (3) to enforce the antidumping and countervailing duty laws 
        vigorously in all pending and future cases.
                                 <all>