[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 18]
[Senate]
[Page 24173]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 MISCELLANEOUS TRADE AND TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS ACT OF 2004--CONFERENCE 
                           REPORT--Continued

  Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, today I voted against invoking cloture and 
ending debate on the conference report accompanying the Miscellaneous 
Tariff Bill, H.R. 1047. Normally, this is a non-controversial bill 
passed by unanimous consent. However, this year's bill is different. 
While it contains many provisions that I support and have worked with 
other Senators to someday enact, it also includes a specific provision 
to repeal the Antidumping Act of 1916. This bill would repeal the 1916 
Act in response to an international ruling, which found that this U.S. 
trade law is WTO-violative even though no court ruling under this U.S. 
law has resulted in any need for the United States to compensate any of 
America's trading partners.
  I disagree with repeal of the Antidumping Act of 1916, because I 
believe that this attempt by the WTO to force the United States to 
abolish this trade law, legitimately enacted at the start of the prior 
century, is misguided and unfair. Our trade foes have little reason to 
criticize this trade law; few cases have been brought under its 
provisions, and even fewer have resulted in judgements against any 
foreign firm. The WTO's attempt to abolish this law is simply one of a 
long line of decisions by this international body meant to open U.S. 
markets to cheap, unfairly traded imports, and to undermine the ability 
of the United States Congress to exercise its sovereign right to 
regulate domestic and foreign commerce.
  Repealing this U.S. trade law would set a bad precedent and could 
only encourage other nations to seek similar, ill-informed ``justice'' 
at the WTO. That, in turn, will lead to disaster for the U.S. 
industrial base, where American producers will assuredly suffer the 
ill-effects of increased, dumped imports, which will drive down the 
prices of American-made goods and put more and more American 
manufacturers out of work.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the conference 
report is adopted and the motion to reconsider is laid upon the table.
  The conference report was agreed to.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Coleman). The Senator from Illinois.
  Mr. FITZGERALD. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to speak as in 
morning business for 20 minutes.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

                          ____________________