[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 71 (Monday, May 11, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2764-S2765]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       TRADE PROMOTION AUTHORITY

  Mr. BROWN. Mr. President, some in this body seem to be on the verge 
of approving the largest trade deal in our Nation's history with little 
debate, one rushed hearing, and barely any understanding of what we are 
signing on to. The last time Congress considered fast-track was 13 
years ago; the Senate spent 3 weeks considering that bill.
  But some would like to condense consideration of the biggest trade 
deal we have ever debated--ever debated--and have it done in advance of 
Memorial Day; the reason--they know that the more we talk about U.S. 
trade policy, the more the American public does not like it.
  Trade promotion authority will give up Congress's authority to amend 
trade agreements. Not only will this affect the Trans-Pacific 
Partnership agreement and so-called TTIP, the United States-European 
Union agreement, it will affect any trade deal until 2021. With TPP and 
TTIP, 60 percent of the world's GDP is at stake. Millions of American 
jobs are on the line. This is too important to rush through with little 
debate and little congressional input.
  With the Memorial Day recess approaching, there simply is not enough 
time to consider fast-track in a manner that allows full debate and 
consideration of amendments. We do not even know if the Senate will 
vote on all four bills as a package that we considered in the Finance 
Committee or just vote on fast-track or some combination of the four. 
If we voted on fast-track alone, we would be giving new rights to 
corporations while turning our backs on critical trade enforcement 
measures and the workers who are left behind by unfair foreign trade. 
Imagine if just TPA--fast-track--gets to the President's desk; we will 
have done nothing on enforcement and we will have left out help for 
workers who have lost their jobs because of what this institution did. 
Fast-tracking fast-track will prevent us from having serious debates on 
issues from public health, to the auto industry, to international 
monetary policy.
  During the Finance Committee's consideration of this bill, I filed 88 
amendments to the package of four bills, 81 of those to fast-track 
alone. I offered a number during markup, and I will offer more on the 
floor. I know Senator Menendez had a very important amendment--and he 
will be speaking in a moment--in the Finance Committee that was 
adopted. I know other colleagues have amendments that will be 
considered. We should debate these amendments to legislation as 
important as this.
  Now the majority leader, who just spoke, wants us to rush this bill 
through, to fast-track fast-track in the last few days just to get it 
done, just so the public won't be able to find out what is in it. We 
owe it to the American people to not rush through something as 
important as our national trade policy. We owe it to the American 
people to spend the limited time available on the floor passing a job-
creation bill, such as the highway bill, which is set to expire May 31, 
rather than a provably job-killing trade agreement, as NAFTA was, as 
PNTR was, as CAFTA was, as South Korea was.
  We know the real answer, that this deal amounts to more empty 
promises. If it were really good for the American worker, why can't the 
American worker see it? More corporate handouts, more worker sellouts.
  As many of my colleagues know, this trade agreement simply doesn't 
work for us. This is what is wrong with the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
  First, with China, there is no guarantee it will not join later. 
There is no prohibition in this language--as far as we can see, with 
the limited access to the text--that China can't backdoor into this 
agreement without a vote of Congress, without any examination from the 
American public.
  Second, what happens to competition? American workers are paid a 
living wage. In Vietnam, the average wage is $3 per day. How do we 
compete with that? With currency. We know China has gamed the currency 
system year after year after year. They don't play by the same rules as 
we do.
  Corporations shift from democratically elected governments to 
corporations. We have seen it in tobacco, we have seen it in public 
health, and we have seen it with minimum wage, where corporations can 
sue foreign governments. Corporations in one country can sue a 
government, even if that government has passed a law democratically 
through a democratic process.
  Our trade deals amount to corporate handouts and worker sellouts. 
People in my State know what has happened since NAFTA. They promised 
NAFTA would bring millions of jobs. Instead, we have lost 5 million 
manufacturing jobs in this country since 1994. It is only since the 
auto rescue in 2010 that we have begun to gain those jobs back.
  We know our trade deals were for small business to compete with 
companies abroad that pay their workers pennies on the dollar. These 
foreign companies don't have to abide by the same American laws that we 
do.
  With so much to do at home and so much at stake in this deal, we 
shouldn't be rushing the process of considering fast-track. We should 
be working on a living wage. We should be working on paid sick and 
family leave. We should be working on equal pay for equal work. We 
should be working on investment to infrastructure and innovation. 
Instead, the majority leader

[[Page S2765]]

wants to fast-track, fast-track. He wants to put this trade agreement 
on the floor as quickly as possible.
  This body should deliberate methodically and carefully before we 
agree to become a rubberstamp for the White House's trade policy. It 
has not worked for us in the past; it will not work for us in the 
future. This body should not be rushing to give up our authority on 
trade.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from New Jersey.

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