The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“FAST TRACK” mentioning the U.S. Dept of Labor was published in the House of Representatives section on pages H7783-H7784 on Nov. 6, 2001.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
FAST TRACK
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Brown) is recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, in recent weeks U.S. Trade Rep Bob Zoellick has attempted to link fast track legislation to antiterrorism efforts. Some say he has questioned the patriotism of those of us who opposed fast track by pointing out that we are indifferent to terrorism, saying we do not share American values if we do not support fast track, because that is the way, he says, to combat terrorism around the world.
Fast track does not embody, Mr. Speaker, those American values that our U.S. trade rep has indicated. Fast track so often means weaker environmental standards. It means dealing with countries without free elections. It means dealing with wealthy families who usurp worker rights, oppress people in developing countries, and ultimately take American jobs.
Supporters of fast track argue that the U.S. is being left behind. They tell us we need fast track to increase American exports and to increase new jobs for American workers. But our history of flawed trade agreements has led to a trade deficit with the rest of the world that has surged to a record $369 billion. The 2000 trade deficit is 39 percent higher than the previous record set in 1999.
The Department of Labor has reported that the North American Free Trade Agreement alone has been responsible for the loss of 300,000 jobs in this country. While our trade agreements go to great lengths to protect investors and protect property rights, these agreements rarely include enforceable provisions to protect workers or to protect the environment.
CEOs of multinational corporations tell Members of Congress that globalization stimulates development and allows nations to improve their labor and environmental records. They say interaction with the developing world spreads democracy.
The facts speak differently. Democratic nations such as India are losing out to more totalitarian nations, such as China. Democratic nations such as Taiwan are losing out to authoritarian regimes, such as Indonesia.
In 1989, 57 percent of developing country exports and manufacturing came from developing democracies; 10 years later, only 35 percent of developing country exports and manufacturing came from developing democracies. It is clear that corporations are relocating their manufacturing bases to more totalitarian regimes, where even the most minimal labor and environmental standards are often ignored.
The fact is, Western business investors want to go to China, they want to go to Indonesia; they want to go to countries which are dictatorships, which have docile work forces, authoritarian governments and they are very predictable for Western investors.
They do not go to India, they do not go to Taiwan, not to South Korea; they do not want to stay in this country many times because we have strong environmental laws, because labor unions can organize and bargain collectively, because good wages are paid, and because we have free elections.
Western corporations instead want to invest in countries that have weak environmental standards, unenforced labor law, below-poverty wages, and where workers have no opportunities to bargain collectively.
Flawed trade policies cost American jobs, put downward pressure on U.S. wages and working conditions, and erode the ability of local, State, and Federal governments to protect public health and to protect the environment.
If we fail to include important labor and environmental provisions in future trade agreements, multinational corporations will continue to dismiss labor and protection of the environment as discretionary and wholly unnecessary expenses. Global working conditions will continue to suffer.
We need in this body to press for provisions that promote workers' rights in all countries and promote economic advancement in all countries. The U.S. must continue to be a leader in setting standards for worker rights, for fair wages, for worker safety, and for environmental protection.
In the last year, in this country, we have lost, since President Bush took office, 1 million industrial jobs. We have experienced economic slowdown, and we have experienced a drop in the stock market that we have not seen in a decade. Fast track will not solve that problem; fast track will make that problem worse.
Our Nation cannot afford to sell its principles to the highest bidder. The global race to the bottom must be stopped and turned around.
In 1998, fast track was defeated in this Congress 243 to 180. Fast track should be defeated again in Congress this year.
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