[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 102 (Friday, July 20, 2001)]
[House]
[Pages H4368-H4369]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 FAST TRACK LEGISLATION SHOULD BE DEFEATED IN CONGRESS AGAIN THIS YEAR

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Brown) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, on June 13 of this year, a bill was 
introduced that would give President Bush fast track authority 
essentially to extend the North American Free Trade Agreement, NAFTA, 
to all of Latin America.
  Supporters of fast track argue that the U.S. is being left behind. 
They tell us we need fast track to increase American exports and to 
create new jobs for American workers. Yet, our history of flawed trade 
agreements has led to a trade deficit with the rest of the world that 
has surged to $369 billion a year.
  The Department of Labor recently reported a very conservative 
estimate that NAFTA alone has been responsible for the loss of more 
than 300,000 jobs. Other estimates have shown NAFTA job losses at 
upwards of 1 million jobs.

[[Page H4369]]

  While our trade agreements go to great lengths to protect investors 
and to protect property rights, these agreements do not typically 
include enforceable provisions to protect workers, either in the United 
States or around the world. Yet, the Bush administration would employ 
the same corporatecentric process that has resulted in tried agreements 
like NAFTA.
  In the global marketplace, labor and environmental concerns in the 
developing world are never on the list of corporate priorities. CEOs of 
multinational corporations tell us that allowing globalization will 
stimulate development and allow nations to improve their labor and 
environmental records. They say interaction with the developing world 
will spread democracy.
  But as we engage with developing countries in trade and investment, 
democratic countries of the developing world are losing grounds to 
those with more authoritarian regimes. Democratic nations such as India 
are losing out to more totalitarian governments such as China. 
Democratic nations such as Taiwan lose out to authoritarian regimes 
such as Indonesia, where profits come before any kind of environmental 
regulations or human rights.
  In manufacturing goods, for example, developing democracies' share of 
developing country exports fell 22 percentage points, from 57 percent 
to 35 percent. Corporations relocate their manufacturing bases to 
countries with more authoritarian regimes where even the most minimal 
labor, environment, and human rights standards do not exist.
  Western corporations want to invest in countries that have poor 
environmental standards, have below-poverty wages, have no labor 
rights, and no opportunities to bargain collectively. As American 
investment moves abroad, American working families lose out.
  Now President Bush says he will be asking for fast track authority 
that puts corporate interests before working American families. Future 
trade deals with a take-it-or-leave-it approach would only add to the 
long line of ill-conceived trade policies.
  Flawed trade policies cost American jobs, put downward pressure on 
U.S. wages and U.S. working conditions, and erode the ability of 
governments to protect public health and protect the environment.
  In 1998, under the leadership of progressive Members of this body, 
fast track was defeated in Congress overwhelmingly, 243 to 180. Fast 
track should be defeated in Congress again this year. More and more 
Members of Congress are joining the ranks calling for trade agreements 
that respond to the social ramifications of a global economy.
  We need to press for a U.S. trade policy, Mr. Speaker, that is good 
for American families.

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