[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 58 (Thursday, May 9, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4135-S4136]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 TRADE ADJUSTMENT ASSISTANCE AGREEMENT

  Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, as we have been noting throughout the 
last several hours, a number of our colleagues have been in discussion 
and negotiation involving the trade adjustment assistance part of the 
package that is pending before us. I am very pleased to announce that 
an agreement has been reached. The agreement is one that involved the 
administration, Republicans, and Democrats who have been involved in 
this issue for some time now.
  I might just briefly outline it. I will leave to the manager of the 
bill and the ranking member to discuss the matter in greater detail 
tomorrow morning.
  As I understand it, they intend to lay down the amendment tomorrow. 
It will be, then, the pending business.
  I also encourage Senators to offer amendments tomorrow and Monday. 
Senator Lott and I have discussed the schedule. I am prepared to say as 
a result of this agreement that there will be no votes tomorrow, but I 
encourage Senators to avail themselves of the opportunity they now 
have, tonight or tomorrow or Monday, to offer amendments.
  We will consider votes for those amendments on Monday night. We have 
already announced there will be a vote on a judge at 6 o'clock on 
Monday. We can accommodate additional votes immediately following that 
vote, should amendments be offered and should we be in a position, 
then, to dispose of them by Monday afternoon.
  But the agreement has a number of components. The trade adjustment 
assistance for more workers--that will provide at least 65,500 new 
workers with trade adjustment assistance, according to the reports that 
I have just been given, unprecedented health care coverage for harmed 
workers, a 70-percent COBRA subsidy for tax credit for employers and 
other institutions, and benefits that match the 2-year training period. 
Workers would receive income assistance for at least 18 months while 
they were retraining for up to 2 years.

[[Page S4136]]

Then there also would be wage insurance for older workers as well.

  There are a number of components. I will not speak at length about 
the specifics of the package until the agreement is ready to be 
presented tomorrow morning. But I hope the final formulation of the 
language to accommodate this agreement can be prepared so that the 
amendment will be provided for all colleagues tomorrow, will be 
offered, and will be part of the pending business as we consider 
amendments to this, and other amendments.
  Senator Lott and I have agreed that there would be an understanding 
that as this package is agreed to as it relates to those issues 
involving TAA, we would entertain it.
  There is also an understanding that an amendment that would allow for 
consideration of assistance for retired steelworkers for health 
purposes would be entertained. And we will have that debate, and an 
amendment will be offered. A point of order, of course, will be made 
against my language. And we understand that. Once that point of order 
has been made, this compromise package will be offered.
  I am appreciative of the work that has gone into reaching this 
agreement. I am disappointed, obviously, that we couldn't do more. But 
I am also appreciative of the fact that we have to move on and that 
Senators who wish to offer other legislation are entitled to do so.
  I thank all of my colleagues for the effort that has been made. I 
hope this will now accelerate our prospects for completing this bill 
and allowing us to address the deadline that exists for the Andean 
Trade Preference Act especially.
  I yield.
  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, just a couple of clarifications, and a 
statement of what I believe our understanding is:
  First of all, I believe--we talked about this earlier--there still 
needs to be a point of order made against the package that was filed, 
and there would be enough votes to sustain that point of order.
  Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, in response to the Republican leader, it 
would not be my desire to challenge the point of order.
  Mr. LOTT. When the point of order is made, at that point we will move 
forward with the agreement we have in regard to TAA. Amendments would 
be in order on the rest of the underlying package, TPA, trade promotion 
authority, and the Andean Trade Preference Act. Is that the Senator's 
understanding?
  Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, the Senator is correct.
  Mr. LOTT. We have had an opportunity to quickly review the components 
of this compromise agreement. It has been a bipartisan effort. The 
administration has had input. I believe all parties are agreed to 
support it. There could still be amendments that would be offered, or 
entertained, as Senator Daschle said. But I believe the negotiators are 
prepared to defend the agreement and oppose amendments that would 
change that.
  I want to state very firmly that it would be my intent to do the same 
thing. If we don't do that, we begin to pick apart the agreement, and 
then there is no agreement.
  But I believe good work has been done. All parties have made some 
concessions. I think, though, that it is going to have significant 
assistance for those who need this transition assistance, and this will 
set a process up that can get us a bill.
  I hope Senator Daschle will join me in opposing amendments that could 
undermine the agreement which we have.
  Further, I observe that I am glad we will be having votes on Monday. 
I think we are going to have to do serious work. I understand Senators 
have amendments on both sides that will be offered. But we do need to 
try to finish the bill next week. I think we are going to have to look 
at how we are guaranteed that is done while Senators have a chance to 
make their case. That is a delicate balance, as is everything in the 
Senate. It always takes understanding and cooperation, and we are going 
to do that.
  Senator Daschle and I both are going to have to provide leadership 
with which our entire caucuses won't always agree. But that is how 
business is done. I think we have done the right thing here. I intend 
to support this agreement and work on getting this very important 
legislation completed.
  I yield the floor.
  Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, I wish to make one clarification which 
Senator Lott and I have already made. I said this privately, but I want 
to say for the record that I will oppose an amendment to improve this 
package or to detract from this package on trade adjustment assistance.
  Obviously, we are open to consider amendments on other matters 
relating to the bill. But on this particular package, the one 
additional part of the agreement that I stated--and I want to reiterate 
again--is there is an understanding that Senators would be free to 
offer amendments having to do with steelworkers. I intend to support 
that amendment. I have indicated that to Senator Lott. But that is 
outside of this agreement. That was part of the understanding we had as 
this negotiation was completed.
  I wanted to make that clarification.
  I will say for the record what I said privately to Senator Lott. That 
amendment will be part of the overall debate on the bill, and I do 
intend to support it.
  I yield to the Senator from Maryland.
  Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, I think the majority leader stated or 
clarified what my questions were.
  As I understand it, there is a compromise but the compromise does not 
include a bridge to help steel retirees. But part of the conversation 
was that a steel retiree amendment would be in order. I believe we will 
have the support and votes. Senator Rockefeller and I intend to offer 
an amendment at an appropriate time.
  I also support the majority leader when he said he would not ask for 
a rollcall vote on the point of order.
  As of yesterday, I wanted a rollcall vote, to drag it out, and raise 
the roof. But then it would be parliamentary tactics.
  I think this topic is so serious that for the good of the Nation, and 
for the way I feel about my steelworkers and those who have been hurt, 
I don't want to engage in a time-consuming and dilatory practice.
  I will not ask for a rollcall vote now that we have an assurance that 
we will be able to offer our amendment. I thank the leader for his 
advocacy on that.
  I wanted to be clear that I will not ask for a rollcall on the point 
of order, so that we can get to the compromise and get to the 
amendments, and maybe get to really helping those people who have been 
injured by trade.
  I have other comments I want to make about steel. I think I will save 
those for my statement later on about why they are in this crisis, why 
this is a national security issue, and why it is an economic security 
issue.
  I think we are going to have a framework for proceeding on an 
amendment. Senator Rockefeller and I will be able to offer that, if not 
tomorrow, over the next coming days.
  I yield the floor.
  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I don't want to dice and slice there too 
closely, but I want to clarify that the negotiators and I believe 
Senator Daschle and I are prepared to support the components of this 
compromise agreement even though not all of it was in the TAA area. 
Obviously, other amendments may be offered on trade promotion 
assistance, and we will have an opportunity to offer those. But we will 
defend the components of the compromise.
  Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, that is true. I said a moment ago that it 
is my intention to oppose amendments--with the clarification I made on 
the steel issue--that would alter this agreement with all of its 
components. I think Senator Lott and I are in agreement on that. That 
is the intention of leadership as amendments are offered.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the order for the 
quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, what is the pending business?




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