[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 68 (Thursday, April 26, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E865]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    INTERNATIONAL SOLID WASTE IMPORTATION AND MANAGEMENT ACT OF 2007

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                               speech of

                           HON. WALLY HERGER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 24, 2007

  Mr. HERGER. Madam Speaker, I rise today in opposition to H.R. 518, 
the International Solid Waste Importation and Management Act of 2007. 
No one can accuse me of shying away from a fight to defend America's 
rights, including the right to regulate foreign trash that poses 
legitimate health or safety risks for our citizens. Yet there are right 
ways to address trade issues and wrong ways. This bill represents the 
wrong way. The bottom line is that this bill allows States to ban or 
restrict trash imports in violation of our Congressional prerogatives, 
Federalist system, and international commitments.
  Yesterday, the U.S. Trade Representative's Office sent a letter to 
the Speaker and Republican Leadership expressing concerns that this 
bill would enable States to openly violate our international trade 
obligations--trade rules that we depend on to defend our companies and 
workers from unfair foreign practices. I would ask that this letter be 
included in the Record.
  At a time when this Congress has called again and again for nations 
such as China to adhere to trade rules and for these rules to be 
vigorously enforced, how can we reasonably expect our trading partners 
to comply with trade obligations with which we do not comply ourselves?
  Moreover, this bill is targeted at Canada, our largest trading 
partner, whose imports of American products impact virtually every 
corner of our country. Violations of our trade obligations to Canada 
would allow Canada to choose which products and industries to target 
for retaliation--exposing virtually every Congressman and Congresswoman 
here to damaging sanctions against their districts.
  This bill would send us back to the Articles of Confederation, under 
which States setting their own trade policies almost tore our Nation 
apart. Now, more than 200 years later, we would be abdicating our 
Congressional responsibility and setting a very dangerous precedent.

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