[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 152 (Tuesday, November 2, 1999)]
[House]
[Pages H11249-H11250]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




NOTICE OF INTENTION TO OFFER A RESOLUTION PRESENTING A QUESTION OF THE 
                        PRIVILEGES OF THE HOUSE

  Mr. VISCLOSKY. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to clause 2(a)(1) of House Rule 
IX, I rise to give notice of my intent to present a question of 
privilege to the House expressing the sense that its rights and 
integrity have been impugned.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Will the gentleman state the form of his 
resolution.
  Mr. VISCLOSKY. Mr. Speaker, the form of the resolution is as follows:

       Calling upon the President to abstain from renegotiating 
     international agreements governing antidumping and 
     countervailing measures.
       Whereas under Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution, the 
     Congress has power and responsibility with regard to foreign 
     commerce and the conduct of international trade negotiations;
       Whereas the House of Representatives is deeply concerned 
     that, in connection with the World Trade Organization 
     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 
     negotiation 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 of 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 current absence of official negotiating 
     objectives on the statute books must not be allowed to 
     undermine the Congress' constitutional role in charting the 
     direction of United States trade policy;
       Whereas under present circumstances, launching a 
     negotiation that includes antidumping and antisubsidy issues 
     would affect

[[Page H11250]]

     the rights of the House and the integrity of its proceedings;
       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 the 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.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under rule IX, a resolution offered from the 
floor by a Member other than the majority or the minority leader as a 
question of the privileges of the House has immediate precedence only 
at a time designated by the Chair within 2 legislative days after the 
resolution is properly noticed.
  Pending that designation, the form of the resolution noticed by the 
gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Visclosky) will appear in the Record at 
this point.
  The Chair will not at this point determine whether the resolution 
constitutes a question of privilege. That determination will be made at 
the time designated for consideration of the resolution.
  Mr. VISCLOSKY. Mr. Speaker, I ask to be heard at the appropriate time 
on the question of whether this resolution constitutes a question of 
privilege.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair just stated that the gentleman 
will be notified.

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