politics20.htm

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July 22, 2002

Milt Jenkins
612 Court Street #1
Sioux City, IA 51101

Dear Milt:

Thank you for taking the time to contact my office regarding issues facing the Congress. I hope you will forgive this delay in my responding to your concerns. Things have been rather hectic here in Washington and I'm afraid I let my correspondence slip. Please allow me to address your concerns now.

I appreciate your taking the time to communicate your thoughts on the legislation granting President Bush trade promotion authority (TPA), also known as fast track authority, for negotiating trade agreements. Under this legislation, the President is authorized to negotiate trade agreements with other nations that may then be submitted to Congress, along with implementing legislation, under special procedures limiting debate and allowing only up or down votes with no amendments permitted.

First, a little background on trade promotion authority. The President was granted this authority almost continuously from 1974 to 1994, but the authority lapsed and has not been renewed until this year. Prior to 1974 the President, by virtue of his constitutional power to conduct foreign affairs, still had the authority to negotiate and enter into agreements concerning trade and tariff policy with foreign nations, however, Congress had the ability to impose restrictions on the agreements. By granting the President trade promotion authority, in general we can expand the number of foreign markets that U.S. goods are able to enter into without the restrictions of high tariffs and other non-tariff barriers.

However, increased trade should not be an end in itself. It must also be a means of achieving more economic fairness, social justice, and broad-based sustainable development throughout the global economy. The practical challenge is to help fashion enforceable rules for a new global economy. It must be a global economy that rewards working families in America and abroad as much as it benefits transnational corporations, investors, and consumers.

Global economic integration is proceeding at an ever quickening speed. In Iowa alone, we have sold more than $3.3 billion worth of exports to more than 150 foreign markets last year; and more than 75% of Iowa's 2,732 companies that export are small-and medium-sized businesses. Additionally, demand is growing at an accelerated pace for Iowa's top agricultural exports. These include soybeans and products, Feed grains and products, live animals and red meats, feeds and fodders, and planting seed.

I have long supported policies to open foreign markets to our nation's exports through new trade agreements and through combating unfair trade practices. However, I could not find myself voting for trade promotion authority when binding international agreements and U.S. trade laws rigorously protect intellectual property right, yet children and adult workers who are brutally and systematically exploited in the workplace are not protected.

That is why I authored a child labor amendment which was successfully added to the TPA bill in the Senate. My amendment makes ending the use of the worst forms of child labor in trade a principal U.S. negotiating objective in all future trade negotiations and on par with intellectual property rights standards. According to the best and most current estimates by the Inter-national Labor Organizations, there are at least 352 million child laborers between the ages of 5 and 17 who are engaged in today's global economy. At least 246 million of these powerless working children are involved in abusive child labor which the business world, trade unions, and government officials in the ILO agree should be abolished.

If enacted, the Harkin Child Labor Amendment includes the only new enforceable worker rights provision in the bill backed up by economic sanctions. Specifically, by adding "the prohibition of the worst forms of child labor" to the statutory definition of internationally-recognized worker rights in the TPA bill, any of at least 130 foreign trading nations that currently export more than 3,000 products duty-free into the U.S. market would become subject to sanctions under 13 different U.S. laws and the potential loss of billions of dollars trade preferences, investment insurance, and other U.S. aid if they are not acting to "prohibit the worst forms of child labor" in their own national laws and practices.

Furthermore, I spearheaded the addition of a workplace non-discrimination clause to the statutory definition of internationally-recognized work rights in U.S. trade lows. This will also make our trading partners subject to sanctions if they do not meet our expectations.

I was pleased that, for the first time ever, the Senate TPA bill included a provision that includes health care coverage for workers who lose their jobs from future trade agreements. It is with this provision that we can be sure to protect those who are, at times, forced out of their jobs by trade agreements.

It is with the inclusion of my amendment against the worst forms of child labor, the work-force non-discrimination clause, and the provision to included health care coverage for workers who lose their jobs from future trade agreements, that I felt confident in voting for trade promotion authority.

Again, I apologize for my delay in getting back to you. Please keep in touch and continue to keep me informed of your views and concerns.

Sincerely,

Tom Harkin
United States Senator