[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 9]
[House]
[Pages 12451-12452]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1600
                           BALANCED TRADE NOW

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Kagen) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. KAGEN. Mr. Speaker, last Friday it was announced that the 
Democratic leadership had struck a deal with the administration and the 
United States Trade Representative regarding how this country will 
approach trade agreements with other nations.
  While very few have seen the actual text of what this deal looks 
like, many of us in Congress have concerns as to how these new 
standards on labor and environment will realistically and effectively 
be enforced.
  As a member of the newly elected class of 2006, I was elected to help 
change the course of this country, to help change our Nation's trade 
policy in particular, a policy that cuts the legs out from under 
American workers and places our industries at a competitive 
disadvantage. It threatens our quality of life and our global 
environment at the same time.
  We are now operating under a flawed model; and until that model is 
fixed, our Nation's jobs and the livelihoods of

[[Page 12452]]

our constituents in Wisconsin and elsewhere are in jeopardy.
  As we have seen in our trade with China, we have been unable, unable 
to stop illegal subsidies, unable to stop illegal dumping and blatant 
violations of basic human labor rights and environmental standards. 
What will we Americans have to give up next?
  Trade deals in the past were flawed, and the ones still being 
negotiated must show promise of helping American workers, of helping 
their families and American communities.
  I believe that John Sweeney, president of the AFL-CIO, put it clearly 
in his statement when he said about a new deal: ``Our trade policy will 
not be fixed overnight. The Bush administration's consistent 
unwillingness to enforce trade violations against nations like Jordan 
and China remind us there is no guarantee the executive branch will 
enforce any new rights workers may gain through these negotiations, and 
President Bush has negotiated flawed agreements with gross human rights 
violator Colombia and a losing, one-sided agreement with South Korea.''
  My friends, it is time that the United States of America begins 
shipping our values overseas and not our jobs. It is time for America 
to take back our rich history of manufacturing, of making things. After 
all, if we don't make anything, we won't have anything. What everyone 
in Wisconsin is asking for is balanced trade, and we need it now.

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