[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 17]
[House]
[Page 23809]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                   SUPPORT TRADE PROMOTION AUTHORITY

  (Mrs. BIGGERT asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, we hear many reasons why this House should 
pass legislation to renew Trade Promotion Authority. Today, I rise on 
behalf of working American families who need TPA.
  American families in the bottom 20 percent of the income scale spend 
52 percent of their after-tax income on food and clothing. 
Unfortunately for these hard-working families, food and clothing are 
the most heavily taxed income sectors, accounting for more than half of 
U.S. import taxes.
  In fact, the average American family of four pays $1,100 every year 
because of import taxes. Talk about regressive taxation. Families 
struggling to make ends meet are disproportionately hit by import taxes 
at the same time our trade negotiators sit on the sidelines, lacking 
authority to make the deals needed to eliminate these taxes.


  Passing TPA will help working families. Let us pass H.R. 3005 and 
give them a break.

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