Seeking to end seven years of congressional deadlock, a bipartisan group of lawmakers has forged a compromise on legislation that would give President Bush power to negotiate broad trade pacts, or Trade Promotion Authority (TPA), formerly called fast-track. Along with House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Bill Thomas (R-CA), Reps. John Tanner (D-TN), Cal Dooley (D-CA), and William Jefferson (D-LA) introduced the bipartisan bill. The Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MN) said he was encouraged by the proposal.
According to a summary of the draft, this TPA legislation would establish a stated objective on labor and environmental issues, and yet maintain the necessary negotiating flexibility to avoid mandates that would prevent negotiators from being able to conclude agreements.
In a recent survey of House members, there was almost uniform Democratic opposition to the TPA legislation proposed by Phil Crane (R-IL) that contained no environmental or labor provisions. In order to pass the House, the bill needs to get support from 40-50 Democrats. The survey also showed 29 Democrats and 33 Republicans are undecided on the issue.
Chairman Baucus has outlined a set of priorities aimed at breaking the impasse on the issue. His plan would require the president to enforce labor and environmental commitments, but would leave it up to the president to decide whether to use fines, sanctions, incentives or other means.
His proposal would also create a Congressional Trade Office to monitor trade negotiations and ensure congressional objective are being met. It would require the House Ways and Means Committee to approve new trade negotiations and apply normal time limits to set Senate debate on approval of trade agreements.
Baucus's proposal would only extend TPA to Bush for two years, but would allow for a 3-year extension. It would also allow Congress to withdraw authority if it determines the administration is not pursuing the objective required by the law.
President Bush has requested that Congress grant him this authority before the World Trade Organization Conference that begins November 9, 2001. At press time, no votes had been taken on the bill.
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