[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4407 Introduced in House (IH)]







109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4407

 To prohibit the entry into any bilateral or regional trade agreement, 
 and to prohibit negotiations to enter into any such agreement, for a 
                           period of 2 years.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           November 18, 2005

  Mr. Kildee introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                      Committee on Ways and Means

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To prohibit the entry into any bilateral or regional trade agreement, 
 and to prohibit negotiations to enter into any such agreement, for a 
                           period of 2 years.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds the following:
            (1) Current and pending trade agreements and partnerships 
        between the United States and other countries have not been in 
        the best interest of United States workers, small businesses, 
        or farmers, the economy, or the environment.
            (2) Current and pending trade agreements and partnerships 
        between the United States and other countries have not 
        significantly raised the living and environmental standards in 
        those countries.
            (3) It is in the mutual interest of the United States and 
        its trading partners to enter into trade agreements and 
        partnerships that expand markets, raise living standards, and 
        protect the environment.
            (4) Current trade agreements have forced American workers, 
        small businesses, and farmers to compete on an uneven playing 
        field with those in other countries with which the United 
        States has a trade agreement or partnership.
            (5) In 2004, the United States had a record trade deficit 
        of $617,000,000,000 in goods and services.
            (6) China and Japan continue to manipulate their currencies 
        without any significant pressure from the United States 
        Government to stop these practices, which have already caused 
        severe damage to industries and workers in the United States.
            (7) Increased trade deficits are harmful to the economy of 
        the United States and the value of the dollar.
            (8) United States trade policies have had a devastating 
        impact on the manufacturing sector in the United States; an 
        estimated 2,800,000 manufacturing jobs in the United States 
        have been lost since 2001.
            (9) A strong and vibrant domestic manufacturing sector is 
        vital to national security and many other domestic industries.

SEC. 2. TERMINATION OF AUTHORITY TO NEGOTIATE AND ENTER INTO BILATERAL 
              OR REGIONAL TRADE AGREEMENTS.

    Upon the enactment of this Act, the President, notwithstanding the 
Bipartisan Trade Promotion Authority Act of 2002 or any other provision 
of law--
            (1) may not enter into any bilateral or regional trade 
        agreement; and
            (2) may not engage in any negotiations to enter into any 
        bilateral or regional trade agreement, and shall terminate any 
        such negotiations that are ongoing at the time this Act is 
        enacted.

SEC. 3. SUNSET.

    This Act shall cease to be effective at the end of the 2-year 
period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act.
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