[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 20]
[House]
[Pages 27637-27638]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 4340, UNITED STATES-BAHRAIN FREE 
                   TRADE AGREEMENT IMPLEMENTATION ACT

  Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the 
Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 583 and ask for its 
immediate consideration.
  The Clerk read the resolution, as follows:

                              H. Res. 583

       Resolved, That upon the adoption of this resolution it 
     shall be in order without intervention of any point of order 
     to consider in the House the bill (H.R. 4340) to implement 
     the United States-Bahrain Free Trade Agreement. The bill 
     shall be considered as read. The bill shall be debatable for 
     two hours equally divided and controlled by the chairman and 
     ranking minority member of the Committee on Ways and Means. 
     Pursuant to section 151 of the Trade Act of 1974, the 
     previous question shall be considered as ordered on the bill 
     to final passage without intervening motion.
       Sec. 2. During consideration of H.R. 4340 pursuant to this 
     resolution, notwithstanding the operation of the previous 
     question, the Chair may postpone further consideration of the 
     bill to a time designated by the Speaker in consonance with 
     section 151 of the Trade Act of 1974.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. LaTourette). The gentleman from 
Washington (Mr. Hastings) is recognized for 1 hour.
  Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate 
only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to my good friend the gentleman 
from Florida (Mr. Hastings), pending which I yield myself such time as 
I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time 
yielded is for the purpose of debate only.
  Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 583 is a closed rule providing for 2 
hours of debate in the House, equally divided and controlled by the 
chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on Ways and 
Means.
  The rule waives all points of order against consideration of the 
bill. It also provides that pursuant to section 151(f)(2) of the Trade 
Act of 1974, the previous question shall be considered as ordered on 
the bill to final passage without intervening motion.
  Lastly, section 2 of the resolution provides that during 
consideration of the bill, notwithstanding the operation of the 
previous question, the Chair may postpone further consideration of the 
bill to a time designated by the Speaker in consonance with section 151 
of the Trade Act of 1974.
  Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 583 provides for the consideration of 
H.R. 4340, a bill to implement the United States-Bahrain Free Trade 
Agreement, in accordance with trade measures negotiated under the Trade 
Promotion Authority.
  Former United States Trade Representative Robert Zoellick signed the 
United States-Bahrain Free Trade Agreement on September 14, 2004. Under 
the agreement, all bilateral trade and consumer and industrial goods 
will be duty free, and 98 percent of U.S. agricultural exports will be 
duty free. Tariffs on the remaining products, such as alcohol and 
tobacco, will be reduced to zero within 10 years.
  It is important to highlight that labor obligations are included at 
the core of this agreement, and they meet objectives set out by 
Congress. In addition, Bahrain has introduced labor reform laws to make 
its laws fully consistent with the International Labor Organization.
  The United States must recognize the fact that 96 percent of the 
world's population resides outside of our country. That 96 percent 
represents a marketplace for U.S. goods and services that we cannot 
reach without proper trade agreements.
  My home State of Washington is one of the most trade-dependent States 
in the Nation, and our economy depends on free and fair trade. From 
high-tech to agriculture, and from manufacturing industries to other 
businesses, Washington State and our Nation is in a position to benefit 
from having more trading partners.
  Mr. Speaker, the United States-Bahrain Free Trade Agreement 
Implementation Act would be the fourth trade agreement reached between 
the United States and a Middle Eastern country and is an integral part 
in creating a Middle East free trade area.
  This agreement is important in bringing stability to the Middle East 
region and sending a strong signal to countries in that region about 
the benefits of closer economic and political ties with the United 
States. Approving this agreement is another step in the right direction 
toward integrating fair trade policies and economic reforms with our 
national security interest in supporting a more stable and prosperous 
Middle East.
  Both House Resolution 583 and H.R. 4340 were reported by their 
respective committees by a voice vote. Accordingly, I urge my 
colleagues to support House Resolution 583 and the underlying bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend from 
Washington State (Mr. Hastings) for the time, and I yield myself such 
time as I may consume.
  Sometimes these rules cause confusion when there are two Mr. Hastings 
managing the rule. So in advance, Mr. Speaker, I am sure that my good 
friend and I want to make sure that there is no confusion.
  Mr. Speaker, my good friend and colleague has already pointed out the 
closed rule we are working on today is mandated by the fact that we are 
dealing with a trade agreement. So I take no issue with the type of 
rule, on this specific occasion.
  However, as I said to Chairman Dreier last night, along with closed 
rules, trade agreements by our rules are supposed to come to the House 
floor with 20 hours of debate. I do recognize the limiting aspect with 
reference to the rule, and this trade agreement is permitted 2 hours.
  Chairman Dreier pointed out, rightly I believe, that this U.S.-
Bahrain trade agreement is one of the most noncontroversial agreements 
of this kind to come before Congress in a long time, and as I said, 
that may be so, but it is also not the point that I wish to carry.
  We have had several more controversial trade deals come before the 
House in recent years where we were also given 2 hours of debate time. 
More recently, we saw that in two trade agreements. Trade deals should 
come to the floor under the 20 hours of debate that the law prescribes. 
If only 5 hours or 5 minutes is what is necessary to pass the bill, so 
be it, but I see a bad precedent being set. I ask my friends in the 
majority to let the House work its will, not so much on this bill, but 
certainly any other in the future that comes before us.
  As to this specific trade agreement, as I have already said, it comes 
to the floor with the support from the administration and both parties 
in Congress. While I seriously doubt that free trade with the tiny 
island nation of Bahrain is going to be the rising tide that lifts our 
flagging economy, after all, trade with Bahrain accounts for only .03 
percent of our total trade activity, I also will not try to stand in 
the way.
  It should be noted, however, that despite its small size, Bahrain 
runs a trade surplus with the United States, joining most other 
countries in the world. So, what this agreement does is give us one 
more country the opportunity to sell more of its goods and services 
here, even more cheaply than it already does. Maybe one day soon, Mr. 
Speaker, we will find a country that the United States will run a 
surplus with, instead of the other way around. One can only hope.
  I do have one other very serious concern with Bahrain, Mr. Speaker. 
Until recently, Bahrain continued to enforce the primary aspect of the 
Arab League boycott against Israel, which bars imports of Israeli-
origin goods.
  Simply put, the United States should not trade, and certainly not 
enter into free trade agreements with, nations that discriminate 
against America's closest and most trusted Middle East ally.
  The kingdom of Bahrain now says they will relent. The kingdom now 
says that it ``recognizes the need to dismantle the primary boycott of 
Israel and is beginning to achieve that goal.''

[[Page 27638]]

  Let us be crystal clear, Mr. Speaker. This change of heart is purely 
economic, and it happened just in the last month. I suspect that it has 
nothing to do with the fact that an economic embargo based on religion 
is wrong and an affront to basic human rights.
  The fact that the country's parliament has rejected, in the last 6 
weeks, the lifting of the embargo, and the kingdom has made it clear 
that it is not normalizing relations with Israel only further proves my 
point.
  Whatever the reason, I am thrilled that Bahrain will work to end the 
long-standing ostracism of Israel by its neighbors. It is past time.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I would just advise my 
friend, I appreciate his opening remarks and respect the work that he 
does in international affairs, but I have no requests for time and I am 
prepared to yield back if the gentleman is.
  Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend from 
Washington, and I yield back the balance of our time.
  Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of 
my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.
  The previous question was ordered.
  The resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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