[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 80 (Thursday, June 16, 2005)]
[House]
[Page H4650]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                PACTS MEAN LITTLE WHEN IT COMES TO TRADE

  (Mr. BROWN of Ohio asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, a quote from Congress Daily: 
``Lawmakers seeking to trade their votes on CAFTA should be forewarned. 
Such deals do not pan out.''
  A Public Citizen report catalogues promises made to lawmakers by the 
Clinton and Bush administrations on trade votes from NAFTA to PNTR to 
TPA. Democratic and Republican administrations delivered on 16 out of 
92 deals.
  Examples of broken promises, a pledge from the Clinton administration 
to put in place expedited safeguard procedures for tomatoes. The Bush 
administration did nothing to utilize those procedures. Tomato imports 
have grown 137 percent.
  On textiles and apparel, a promise made during 2002 TPA to the 
gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Hayes), the gentlewoman from North 
Carolina (Mrs. Myrick), and then-Representative Ballenger to hire 72 
additional customs inspectors, which was never fulfilled.
  The gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Hayes) is leaning against 
CAFTA. The gentlewoman from North Carolina (Mrs. Myrick) this week 
announced her support. That support is based on a pledge from Trade 
Representative Portman to seek an amendment to CAFTA to help North 
Carolina producers of pockets and linings proving that textile members 
like the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Mrs. Myrick) seem to have 
learned nothing from the record of broken deals, the report states.
  The gentlewoman from North Carolina (Mrs. Myrick) said she has been 
assured by Secretary Chertoff that those positions would be filled by 
2006.

                          ____________________