[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 89 (Friday, June 28, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1173]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

[[Page E1173]]



  RELATING TO CONSIDERATION OF SENATE AMENDMENT TO H.R. 3009, ANDEAN 
                TRADE PROMOTION AND DRUG ERADICATION ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. SHEILA JACKSON-LEE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 26, 2002

  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, global commerce is a force for 
progress. However, current trade rules are too often used to undermine 
environmental protections and democratic rights in the name of ``free 
trade.'' Fast track is the expansion of presidential authority in 
international trade. However, the Thomas substitute would aid powerful 
corporations searching the globe for cheap labor, lowering standards 
for workers' rights, public health and education, consumer rights and 
environmental laws worldwide, and causing developing countries to 
become even more impoverished. Fast track legislation consistently 
overlooks the rights of workers in developing countries.
  The Ways and Means Chairman, Representative Bill Thomas, has created 
a substitute for the fast track authority which provides that a nation 
only need enforce its own labor laws, whatever they might be, no matter 
how inadequate. Furthermore, H. Res. 450 would eliminate Senate 
amendments that restrict child labor in trade agreements, require 
countries to cooperate in the war against terrorism, and require a 
respect for nondiscrimination in employment. In addition, the Thomas 
substitute fails to provide any enforceable environmental protections. 
The Thomas substitute, also, fails to provide an adequate oversight 
role for Congress.
  Chairman Bill Thomas is adding a never-before-considered legislative 
proposals to a rule on a procedural motion. He is denying this body an 
opportunity to debate, amend or offer a substitute to his proposal. He 
is denying us our right to free speech. The step of going to conference 
with the Senate is proforma and non-controversial. However, Chairman 
Thomas is proposing a convoluted rule that, if adopted, will add up to 
a dozen extraneous and new items to the conference process. The 
Democratic Rules Committee staff is not aware of any other instance in 
this or any recent Congress in which a self-executing rule has been 
used to insert never-considered legislation into conference.
  Trade authority goes far beyond tariff reduction and involves 
tradeoffs on intellectual property rights, environmental standards, 
basic labor laws and other issues of such importance to the American 
worker. The Thomas substitute includes a new Republican Trade 
Adjustment Assistance bill. This is an amended version of the House 
fast track bill, which passed in December by a one-vote margin. Each of 
these proposals has serious flaws. The Thomas substitute undermines the 
Senate TAA health care provisions by reducing the level of support for 
workers from 70 percent to 60 percent. The Senate bill increases the 
TAA funding threefold, from $100 million to $300 million. This reflects 
the fact that the TAA annually runs out of money. But the Thomas 
substitute would only raise TAA funding only slightly, from $100 
million to $110 million. Under the Thomas substitute, TAA and 
steelworker health care benefits would be severely limited in 
availability and cost too much for most workers to afford.
  The Thomas substitute guts the Senate TAA non-health care provisions, 
by narrowing the benefits coverage of secondary workers even further 
than existing law, by eliminating the pilot wage insurance program for 
older workers with low-to-medium incomes. In addition, the Thomas 
substitute cuts almost two-thirds of the increased funding that is in 
the Senate bill.
  During a time when the public has clearly voiced its concern that 
global trade matters move more into the eye of public scrutiny. This 
Thomas substitute would make the fast track trade bill the North 
American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) on steroids. Since NAFTA's 
passage in 1995, the trade deficit between the United States and Mexico 
has ballooned to $29 billion annually. An estimated 700,000 American 
jobs have been lost to nations that don't have to play by the same 
labor and environmental rules that American workers do.
  If we approve the Thomas substitute, our Representatives and Senators 
will limit themselves to having no more than 20 hours to debate any 
trade deal brought before them for ratification and to vote on the 
issue within 60 days of when it is introduced. Those limits would 
curtail public discussions about trade policy. Extended debates on 
Capitol Hill give ordinary citizens the chance to influence public 
policy by expressing their opinions to their elected representatives. 
If trade legislation is sped through Congress, that would limit the 
opportunities for careful deliberation on the merits and weaknesses of 
complex trade agreements. Curtailing discussion and debate of 
legislation is fundamentally undemocratic.
  The sole purpose of this extraordinary and unprecedented legislative 
sleight of hand is, as Rules Committee Chairman David Dreier says, to 
``strengthen the hand of House conferees before we get to conference.'' 
This is a political move. Furthermore, it would do so by short-
circuiting the democratic processes of this body. This would deprive 
all members of the opportunity to consider important legislative 
proposals in a manner consistent with the parliamentary traditions of 
this House.
  Therefore, I urge my colleagues to strongly oppose H. Res. 450.

                          ____________________