[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 17]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 23493-23494]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




      H.R. 1047, MISCELLANEOUS TRADE AND TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. PHILIP M. CRANE

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 8, 2004

  Mr. CRANE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1047, the 
Miscellaneous Trade and Technical Corrections Act of 2004. This 
important, bipartisan legislation is long overdue, and I am pleased we 
have the opportunity to consider the conference report this evening.
  H.R. 1047 is a compendium of trade provisions drawn largely from 
legislation introduced by individual Members. The bill contains 
provisions involving the temporary suspension of duties on narrowly 
defined products, miscellaneous trade items, and technical corrections 
to the Trade and Development Act of 2000.
  There are a number of provisions in this bill that are noteworthy, 
including several that I have long championed. For instance, I am 
pleased that the legislation follows in the tradition of both the 2000 
and 2002 Trade Acts, by including a reduction of the tariff for certain 
types of wool used in the production of men's suits.
  This reduction in tariffs is important not only as a matter of trade 
policy, but also to suitmakers across the country, who not too long ago 
saw their industry decimated by high tariffs. Reducing these tariffs 
has stabilized the domestic industry, and nowhere is this more apparent 
than at Hart Marx, the only publicly- traded company manufacturing 
suits in America today.
  I had the opportunity to tour the wonderful Hart Marx facility in Des 
Plaines, IL, this past August, and saw firsthand how important that 
tariff reduction is for the nearly 600 employees at Hart Marx, many of 
whom are my constituents.
  I am therefore most pleased that this legislation will further reduce 
the tariff on worsted wool. History shows us that this will not only 
save jobs, but even add to jobs, in Illinois and throughout the 
country.
  I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation.

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