[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 15]
[House]
[Pages 21733-21734]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                               FAST TRACK

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Brown) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, in recent weeks U.S. Trade Rep Bob 
Zoellick has attempted to link fast track legislation to antiterrorism 
efforts. Some say he has questioned the patriotism of those of us who 
opposed fast track by pointing out that we are indifferent to 
terrorism, saying we do not share American values if we do not support 
fast track, because that is the way, he says, to combat terrorism 
around the world.
  Fast track does not embody, Mr. Speaker, those American values that 
our U.S. trade rep has indicated. Fast track so often means weaker 
environmental standards. It means dealing with countries without free 
elections. It means dealing with wealthy families

[[Page 21734]]

who usurp worker rights, oppress people in developing countries, and 
ultimately take American jobs.
  Supporters of fast track argue that the U.S. is being left behind. 
They tell us we need fast track to increase American exports and to 
increase new jobs for American workers. But our history of flawed trade 
agreements has led to a trade deficit with the rest of the world that 
has surged to a record $369 billion. The 2000 trade deficit is 39 
percent higher than the previous record set in 1999.
  The Department of Labor has reported that the North American Free 
Trade Agreement alone has been responsible for the loss of 300,000 jobs 
in this country. While our trade agreements go to great lengths to 
protect investors and protect property rights, these agreements rarely 
include enforceable provisions to protect workers or to protect the 
environment.
  CEOs of multinational corporations tell Members of Congress that 
globalization stimulates development and allows nations to improve 
their labor and environmental records. They say interaction with the 
developing world spreads democracy.
  The facts speak differently. Democratic nations such as India are 
losing out to more totalitarian nations, such as China. Democratic 
nations such as Taiwan are losing out to authoritarian regimes, such as 
Indonesia.
  In 1989, 57 percent of developing country exports and manufacturing 
came from developing democracies; 10 years later, only 35 percent of 
developing country exports and manufacturing came from developing 
democracies. It is clear that corporations are relocating their 
manufacturing bases to more totalitarian regimes, where even the most 
minimal labor and environmental standards are often ignored.
  The fact is, Western business investors want to go to China, they 
want to go to Indonesia; they want to go to countries which are 
dictatorships, which have docile work forces, authoritarian governments 
and they are very predictable for Western investors.
  They do not go to India, they do not go to Taiwan, not to South 
Korea; they do not want to stay in this country many times because we 
have strong environmental laws, because labor unions can organize and 
bargain collectively, because good wages are paid, and because we have 
free elections.
  Western corporations instead want to invest in countries that have 
weak environmental standards, unenforced labor law, below-poverty 
wages, and where workers have no opportunities to bargain collectively.
  Flawed trade policies cost American jobs, put downward pressure on 
U.S. wages and working conditions, and erode the ability of local, 
State, and Federal governments to protect public health and to protect 
the environment.
  If we fail to include important labor and environmental provisions in 
future trade agreements, multinational corporations will continue to 
dismiss labor and protection of the environment as discretionary and 
wholly unnecessary expenses. Global working conditions will continue to 
suffer.
  We need in this body to press for provisions that promote workers' 
rights in all countries and promote economic advancement in all 
countries. The U.S. must continue to be a leader in setting standards 
for worker rights, for fair wages, for worker safety, and for 
environmental protection.
  In the last year, in this country, we have lost, since President Bush 
took office, 1 million industrial jobs. We have experienced economic 
slowdown, and we have experienced a drop in the stock market that we 
have not seen in a decade. Fast track will not solve that problem; fast 
track will make that problem worse.
  Our Nation cannot afford to sell its principles to the highest 
bidder. The global race to the bottom must be stopped and turned 
around.
  In 1998, fast track was defeated in this Congress 243 to 180. Fast 
track should be defeated again in Congress this year.

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