[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 1]
[Senate]
[Pages 1325-1326]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                   THE NOMINATION OF ROBERT ZOELLICK

  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, there is one other subject on which I want 
to touch. Later today we will consider the nomination of Robert 
Zoellick to be the U.S. Trade Representative. That vote will occur at 
4:15 p.m. I am satisfied that he will be confirmed, and he should be 
confirmed. He has a tremendous record in terms of education and 
experience and previous administrations in the private sector. I 
believe he will be a strong USTR.
  I want to add that I am very much concerned about what I see 
happening in the trade area. I want the U.S. Trade Representative to be 
strong. I am concerned about dictates I have seen in the past by both 
Democrat and Republican administrations, where the State Department or 
the Commerce Department goes to the White House and stops our Trade 
Representative from enforcing the trade laws. Free trade, yes, but also 
fair trade and enforce the laws on the books.
  Canada is not dealing with us fairly when it comes to soft wood 
lumber and wheat. Our closest neighbor, perhaps our best friend in the 
world, and we cannot get them to live up to the trade agreement we have 
with them. While we see increased trade in Mexico and Central America, 
that is good. We have certain problems with Mexico, too. In Europe, for 
heavens' sake, the first two decisions that the WTO made the Europeans 
basically have thumbed their nose at. I suggested to Mr. Zoellick, to 
quote a former great Senator from Georgia, Richard Russell, ``I think 
we ought to have an American desk at the U.S. Trade Representative's 
office.''
  Somebody needs to speak for America and quit quaking in our boots 
about the diplomatic impact it would have

[[Page 1326]]

with Canada if we say enforce the law. Enforce the law.
  I made that statement to Mr. Zoellick privately and in the Finance 
Committee hearings, and I am going to do so when he is confirmed. I 
thought Charlene Barshefsky of the previous administration was a good 
U.S. Trade Representative up until the last year. Then I think she was 
overrun by the election year and the State Department and all kinds of 
other people. I think she was tougher than most Trade Representatives. 
Overall, she did a good job, particularly in the high-tech area.
  In agriculture, she was not quite so good. But I am worried. I have 
supported all of these trade agreements we voted on over the years--
GATT, NAFTA, Africa and CBI trade, and China PNTR. But I am getting 
really fed up with the way we are being treated by our trading 
partners. I am even more fed up with the way our administrations don't 
insist on the laws being enforced. So I have urged Mr. Zoellick to do 
that. I believe he will. I hope he will. If he does not, I can assure 
him and this administration and our trading partners that a strong 
letter to follow and action will be taken to be commensurate with how I 
feel about this issue.
  We have to have some change in how we deal with our trading partners. 
Now is the time, at the beginning of a new administration. Without 
being overly critical, it has been both Republican and Democrat 
administrations. It is time we look after American interests in the 
trade area as well as in the diplomatic, economic, and military areas.
  I know others will say things such as this, and in the Finance 
Committee some of my friends on the Democratic side were surprised to 
hear me say this and liked it. I don't mean to sound as if I am some 
sort of a traditional protectionist, but fair is fair. I don't think 
our trading partners are dealing with us fairly right now.
  I support this nomination, and I will urge a vote for his 
confirmation.
  I yield the floor.

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