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Politics : Politics for Pros- moderated -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Rollcast... who wrote (3667)	7/23/2003 10:29:31 PM
From: LindyBill	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 793552

hypocrite=Politician, RC. Just goes with the territory. lindybill@cynic.com

To: Rollcast... who wrote (3667)	7/24/2003 5:18:54 AM
From: LindyBill	Respond to of 793552

Any day we get "Free Trade" through Congress, is a good day for the country. House GOP Clears Way For Free-Trade Deals Democrats Blocked in Bid to Shape Terms By Dan Morgan Washington Post Staff Writer Thursday, July 24, 2003; Page A05 House Republicans yesterday blocked a Democratic attempt to set some of the terms for pending trade deals with Canada and Latin American countries, and then cleared the way for final House approval of free-trade agreements with Chile and Singapore. A Democratic amendment to a spending bill would have prevented the use of taxpayer funds to negotiate new trade pacts with the hemispheric nations unless they open markets for U.S. technology and agricultural products, prevent copyright piracy and include collective bargaining rights and rules enforcing laws against exploitative workplace practices. The amendment had strong backing from labor organizations and House Democratic leaders. But Republicans used a procedural maneuver to prevent a vote on the proposal during consideration of the $41.2 billion bill funding the Commerce, Justice and State departments in 2004. That bill passed late yesterday. Trade agreements are subject to congressional approval, but they cannot be amended. Yesterday, Rep. Jim Kolbe (R-Ariz.) called the Democratic proposal a "poison pill" that would amount to inappropriate meddling. He said the Democratic proposal would "sink negotiations" for a Free Trade Area of the Americas, involving Canada and 33 other countries, and a Central American Free Trade Agreement, in which El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica and Nicaragua are participating. But Democrats said workers in the United States and throughout the hemisphere would suffer if the new trade deals fail to require stronger labor laws. "Workers . . . will not be able to climb up the ladder, cannot become part of an expanded middle class so important to them, so important to their countries and important to the U.S. in terms of the ability of people in those countries to buy our goods and services," Rep. Sander M. Levin (D-Mich.) said. Although Levin's proposal was blocked, bipartisan congressional concerns about unfair trade practices by some countries were evident in the bill. The measure sets spending levels next year for agencies such as the International Trade Administration and the U.S. trade representative at the White House. The bill provides $3 million to establish a new Office of China Compliance, to ensure that China meets its obligations to the World Trade Organization. The office would focus on issues impeding the ability of small and medium-sized companies to do business in China. Rep. Frank R. Wolf (R-Va.), who chairs the House subcommittee that writes the budget for trade enforcement activities, said he is increasingly concerned about the growing trade deficit with China, now running $120 billion a year. "Quite frankly, the trade representative's office has been starved" of funds, Wolf said. A report accompanying the bill requires the secretary of commerce to provide Congress with a far-reaching report on trade issues with China by next March. It would give details on subsidies provided to China's state enterprises, China's use of joint ventures to obtain advanced technology and China's alleged exploitation of U.S. research. With the House set to vote on free-trade agreements with Singapore and Chile, U.S. Trade Representative Robert B. Zoellick met yesterday with lawmakers and members of the business community to rally support. Labor organizations lobbied against approval. washingtonpost.com