[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 161 (Monday, December 15, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2419-E2420]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                               FAST TRACK

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JAY W. JOHNSON

                              of wisconsin

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, November 13, 1997

  Mr. JOHNSON of Wisconsin. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to lend my voice 
to those in opposition to fast track trade authority for the President. 
This fast track legislation provides a procedure for approval or denial 
of trade treaties, without giving Congress an opportunity to amend the 
treaties.
  I believe strongly in free and open trade, and I have voted for other 
free trade legislation in this Congress. Trade is often the engine that 
drives our economy, opening up new markets for our goods and services.
  However, too often in our recent trade agreements, like NAFTA and 
GATT, we have opened the doors of trade for other countries to sell 
their goods in this country, but slammed shut those doors when our 
workers and farmers looked to export their products abroad. Currently, 
dairy farmers in northeast Wisconsin face excessive trade barriers--
tariffs as high as 300 percent in some cases--when they trade with 
Canada. Yet, Canadian dairy products flow freely across the same 
border. How can Americans compete when the playing field is so tilted 
to our competitor?
  Last month, the Dairy Trade Coalition--comprised largely of 
Midwestern milk producers--said that the U.S. dairy industry was a big 
loser under the GATT Uruguay trade talks, and informed U.S. Secretary 
of Agriculture Dan Glickman that they could not support the fast track 
legislation without better assurances for agriculture. These assurances 
have been made and our farmers across America continue to struggle.

[[Page E2420]]

  Mr. Speaker, after much consideration and many discussions with 
farmers and workers in northeast Wisconsin, I have concluded that it 
makes no sense to continue opening trade pacts in this hemisphere when 
we have faulty trade agreements--like NAFTA and GATT--that are hurting 
our people back home. Before we set out on a fast track to the 
bargaining table to negotiate our next trade agreement, the President 
would do well to fix these recent agreements and level the playing 
field for the United States.

                          ____________________