[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 143 (Wednesday, September 10, 2008)]
[House]
[Pages H7992-H7993]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              UNFAIR TRADE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Kagen) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. KAGEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise this evening to present some of the 
stories from northeast Wisconsin, a region in the country known as 
``Paper Valley.''
  We have, for over 150 years in Wisconsin, been the leaders in the 
paper industry, not just paper manufacturing, but paper research, 
designing new ways and new methods of manufacturing and using paper 
products all throughout the world. We have led the way because we've 
invested our educational system, our time and energy in developing the 
industry. And now, across the country, all the paper industry is 
imperilled because of unfair, unbalanced trade deals, and a trading 
partner that breaks the rules, and that is Communist China.
  Recently, in November, the International Trade Commission ruled that 
there was illegal paper coming into the United States, but there was no 
damage, no damages to the paper industry here in these United States. 
Well, shortly thereafter, New Page Corporation closed the Niagara Paper 
Mill in Niagara, Wisconsin, displacing hundreds of workers who had been 
there for generations.
  More recently, several days ago, in Kimberly, Wisconsin, the Kimberly 
Mill--and you've heard of Kimberly Clark, you've heard of Kleenex, 
you've heard of other paper products and Huggies and diapers--listen, 
Kimberly, the only mill that they've had, has been closed and shut 
down, shut down because of the illegal competition from Asian 
governments like both South Korea and China.
  The decision by the International Trade Commission was that there 
were no damages. Well, I beg to differ. In my office, I have a scroll 
signed by nearly 5,000 people from Kimberly and the surrounding 
villages who have been damaged. They are real people with real damages. 
One of the families, the Van Zeelands, are here with me in picture 
form. Bruce and his wife Nancy have three children, Alicia, Scott and 
Courtney. And here is his statement which I read on the floor this 
morning, ``It turned our life upside down. Working at one company for 
28 years and having no other skills to compete in this horrible job 
market. My wife is struggling to find a full-time job now. We cannot 
help out our three kids with college. We worry about losing our home.'' 
And he's not alone. There are hundreds of other workers and other 
families with real damages that the International Trade Commission may 
not have considered.
  What about the family of Tom Sternhagen, who had worked for 29 years 
at the Kimberly mill? His wife Maureen, his son Ben and daughter Lexi, 
and here's what he has to say. ``Can't pay the mortgage. Can't pay the 
property taxes. Our son can't go to college. We have no more health 
insurance. Can't make car payments. This is nothing but corporate greed 
with no regard for human life.'' That is Tom Sternhagen.

[[Page H7993]]

  These are the views of normal, hardworking people in northeast 
Wisconsin who are suffering because of unfair trade deals and an 
administration that will not allow the rule of law to take place.
  The International Trade Commission got it wrong: There are real 
damages throughout Paper Valley and throughout northeast Wisconsin.
  Now, what's it going to take? What's it going to take to wake up 
America? We've been bleeding our jobs overseas when instead we should 
be shipping our values overseas, not our jobs. As Niagara, Wisconsin 
goes, so goes our Nation. And as Kimberly goes, so goes our Nation as 
well.
  It's time for us here in the House of Representatives to work 
together across party lines and make certain that we design balanced 
trade deals such that when a ship comes over from China with $50 
million worth of goods and materials, they take back $50 million worth 
of goods and materials made by our hardworking Americans.
  Look, given a level playing field, we can out-compete and out-work 
anybody. We are the most productive people ever on Earth. We have had a 
successful middle class only because of our work ethic and the fact 
that we've had fair trade deals, free trade. The CAFTA and NAFTA style 
trade deals are nothing more than a free giveaway of American jobs.
  It's time for America to wake up. Yes, let's wake up together, let's 
roll up our sleeves, let's work together in this House and in this next 
election. Let's elect a President who can think things all the way 
through, someone who is on the side of the Van Zeeland family, someone 
who is on our side for a change.

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