[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6148 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6148

To make bills implementing trade agreements subject to a point of order 
       unless certain conditions are met, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 22, 2008

  Mr. DeFazio (for himself, Mr. Taylor, Ms. Kaptur, Mr. Melancon, Mr. 
Costello, Mr. Lewis of Georgia, Mr. Marshall, Mr. Michaud, Mr. Hinchey, 
    Mrs. Boyda of Kansas, Ms. Woolsey, and Mr. Hare) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, 
     and in addition to the Committee on Rules, for a period to be 
subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration 
  of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 
                               concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To make bills implementing trade agreements subject to a point of order 
       unless certain conditions are met, and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Trade Agreement Benchmarks and 
Accountability Act''.

SEC. 2. LIMITATIONS ON BILLS IMPLEMENTING TRADE AGREEMENTS.

    (a) In General.--Notwithstanding section 151 of the Trade Act of 
1974 (19 U.S.C. 2191) or any other provision of law, any bill 
implementing a trade agreement between the United States and another 
country shall be subject to a point of order pursuant to subsection (c) 
unless the bill--
            (1) is accompanied by a statement of the benchmarks 
        described in subsection (b)(1) and that statement is approved 
        as part of the implementing bill; and
            (2) contains the reporting provisions described in 
        subsection (b)(2).
    (b) Benchmarks and Reporting Provisions.--
            (1) Benchmarks.--
                    (A) In general.--Each bill implementing a trade 
                agreement shall be accompanied by a statement that 
                contains benchmarks described in subparagraph (B) and 
                predictions made by the International Trade Commission, 
                the United States Trade Representative, and other 
                Federal agencies, of the impact the implementation of 
                the agreement will have on the United States economy.
                    (B) Description of benchmarks.--The benchmarks 
                described in this subparagraph are as follows:
                            (i) An estimate of the number of new jobs 
                        that will be created, the number of existing 
                        jobs that will be lost, and the expected net 
                        effect on job creation in the United States as 
                        a result of the agreement. The estimate shall 
                        include the number and type of the new jobs 
                        that will be created and lost.
                            (ii) An assessment and quantitative 
                        analysis of the extent to which the agreement 
                        will result in an improvement in wages for 
                        workers in the United States.
                            (iii) An assessment and quantitative 
                        analysis of how each country that is a party to 
                        the agreement is implementing and enforcing the 
                        labor and environmental standards that are part 
                        of the agreement.
                            (iv) A quantitative analysis of the extent 
                        to which the agreement will result in an 
                        increase in the access by United States 
                        businesses to the market of each country that 
                        is a party to the agreement, particularly those 
                        sectors identified by the United States Trade 
                        Representative as of special importance with 
                        respect to the agreement.
            (2) Reporting provisions.--The reporting provisions 
        described in this subsection are that each bill implementing a 
        trade agreement shall contain a requirement that not later than 
        5 years after the date the agreement enters into force with 
        respect to the United States, and every 5 years thereafter, the 
        International Trade Commission shall submit to Congress a 
        report that provides an assessment and quantitative analysis of 
        whether and the extent to which the trade agreement has 
        resulted in meeting the benchmarks and predictions described in 
        paragraph (1).
    (c) Point of Order.--
            (1) In senate.--The Senate shall cease consideration of a 
        bill to implement a trade agreement, if--
                    (A) a point of order is made by any Senator against 
                any bill implementing a trade agreement that is not 
                accompanied by a statement regarding the benchmarks to 
                be achieved by the agreement or does not contain the 
                reporting provisions regarding the benchmarks described 
                in subsection (b); and
                    (B) the point of order is sustained by the 
                Presiding Officer.
            (2) In house.--
                    (A) In general.--It shall not be in order in the 
                House of Represenateives to consider a bill to 
                implement a trade agreement if the bill is not 
                accompanied by a statement regarding the benchmarks to 
                be achieved by the agreement or does not contain the 
                reporting provisions regarding the benchmarks described 
                in subsection (b).
                    (B) Supermajority waiver.--This paragraph may be 
                waived or suspended in the House of Representatives 
                only be an affirmative vote of two-thirds of the 
                Members, duly chosen and sworn.
    (d) Withdrawal of Approval.--
            (1) In general.--If a report described in subsection (b) 
        indicates that the benchmarks and predictions made in 
        connection with a trade agreement are not being met--
                    (A) the approval of Congress, provided in a bill to 
                implement the trade agreement, shall cease to be 
                effective, and
                    (B) not later than 180 days after the date on which 
                Congress receives the report, the President shall 
                provide written notice of withdrawal of the United 
                States from the agreement,
        unless a joint resolution described in subsection (e) is 
        enacted into law pursuant to the provisions of subsection (e) 
        and paragraph (2).
            (2) Procedural provisions.--
                    (A) In general.--The requirements of this paragraph 
                are met if the joint resolution is enacted under 
                subsection (e), and--
                            (i) Congress adopts and transmits the joint 
                        resolution to the President before the end of 
                        the 180-day period (excluding any day described 
                        in section 154(b) of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 
                        U.S.C. 2194(b)), beginning on the date on which 
                        Congress receives a report described in 
                        subsection (b); and
                            (ii) if the President vetoes the joint 
                        resolution, each House of Congress votes to 
                        override that veto on or before the later of 
                        the last day of the 180-day period referred to 
                        in clause (i) or the last day of the 15-day 
                        period (excluding any day described in section 
                        154(b) of the Trade Act of 1974) beginning on 
                        the date on which Congress receives the veto 
                        message from the President.
                    (B) Introduction.--A joint resolution to which this 
                section applies may be introduced at any time on or 
                after the date on which the International Trade 
                Commission transmits to Congress a report described in 
                subsection (b), and before the end of the 180-day 
                period referred to in subparagraph (A)(i).
    (e) Joint Resolutions.--
            (1) Joint resolutions.--For purposes of this section, the 
        term ``joint resolution'' means only a joint resolution of the 
        2 Houses of Congress, the matter after the resolving clause of 
        which is as follows: ``That Congress waives the requirements of 
        section 2(d)(1) of the Trade Agreement Benchmarks and 
        Accountability Act with respect to the ______ Agreement.'', 
        with the blank space being filled with the title of the 
        applicable agreement.
            (2) Procedures.--
                    (A) Introduction and referral.--
                            (i) House of representatives.--Joint 
                        Resolutions in the House of Representatives--
                                    (I) may be introduced by any Member 
                                of the House;
                                    (II) shall be referred to the 
                                Committee on Ways and Means and, in 
                                addition, to the Committee on Rules; 
                                and
                                    (III) may not be amended by either 
                                Committee.
                            (ii) Senate.--Joint Resolutions in the 
                        Senate--
                                    (I) may be introduced by any Member 
                                of the Senate;
                                    (II) shall be referred to the 
                                Committee on Finance; and
                                    (III) may not be amended.
                    (B) Consideration by committees.--
                            (i) House of representatives.--It is not in 
                        order for the House of Representatives to 
                        consider any resolution that is not reported by 
                        the Committee on Ways and Means and, in 
                        addition, by the Committee on Rules.
                            (ii) Senate.--It is not in order for the 
                        Senate to consider any resolution that is not 
                        reported by the Committee on Finance.
                    (C) Application of other provisions.--The 
                provisions of section 152 (c), (d), and (e) of the 
                Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2192 (c), (d), and (e)) 
                (relating to discharge of committees and floor 
                consideration of certain resolutions in the House and 
                Senate) shall apply to joint resolutions under this 
                section to the same extent as such provisions apply to 
                resolutions under such section.
            (3) Rules of house of representatives and senate.--This 
        subsection is enacted by Congress--
                    (A) as an exercise of the rulemaking power of the 
                House of Representatives and the Senate, respectively, 
                and as such is deemed a part of the rules of each 
                House, respectively, and such procedures supersede 
                other rules only to the extent that they are 
                inconsistent with such other rules; and
                    (B) with the full recognition of the constitutional 
                right of either House to change the rules (so far as 
                relating to the procedures of that House) at any time, 
                in the same manner and to the same extent as any other 
                rule of that House.
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