Sat, 11 Mar 2000, 10:29pm EST
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Lott Says Normal Trade With China Will Pass
Washington, March 11 (Bloomberg) -- Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott predicted that the Republican-controlled Senate
will approve granting China permanent normal trade status with the U.S.
Lott said he came to that conclusion after meeting with President Bill Clinton last week. He said he was persuaded that
Clinton will push hard to line up Democratic votes for the proposal, which would ease the way for China to join the World
Trade Organization -- a major administration goal.
``He convinced me that he is going to put it on line, and if he will, I will,' Lott said on CNN's ``Evans, Novak, Hunt &
Shields' program broadcast today. ``I believe we can pass it in the Senate. And I predict here today that permanent trade
status for China will pass,' Lott said, according to a transcript of the show.
Clinton on Wednesday submitted legislation to Congress that would grant China permanent access to the U.S. market. Lott
said the Senate Finance Committee hopes to act on the proposal before the end of April, ``And then we'll assess where we
go from
there.'
The issue figures to be one of the administration's toughest battles this year on Capitol Hill, as labor unions, human rights
activists, and many congressional Democrats oppose the measure.``There's a general sense the biggest challenge we have is
getting an adequate number of Democrats, so that's where the administration is focusing right now,' said Simon Rosenberg,
president of the New Democrat Network, a coalition of moderate, pro-business House and Senate members.
More than 125 of the 211 House Democrats would oppose the bill, with ``a huge number of undecided,' House Democratic
Whip David Bonior said last week.
China must be given permanent normal trade relations -- a status enjoyed by almost all U.S. trading partners -- or else it can
deny U.S. companies the benefits of the country's membership in the WTO, the administration says.
Lott Amazed
Lott said the issue ``is not about China. This is about America. This is about opening trade opportunities around the world.
This is about jobs in America.'
Lott said he was amazed that the United Automobile Workers opposes the measure ``because we're going to be selling
American automobiles into China and the parts to go with it. This is about openness and opportunity for agriculture in
America,
automobiles, and it is in our best interest to do this.' |
