Fast Track Trade Authority

Floor Speech

FAST TRACK TRADE AUTHORITY -- (House of Representatives - June 18, 2007)

(Ms. SCHAKOWSKY asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, on June 30, 2007, Fast Track trade authority will expire. Now is the time for Congress to replace an outdated system that removes congressional authority, as set out in the Constitution, ``to regulate commerce with foreign nations.''

As it stands with Fast Track in place, Congress has no control over the content of trade agreements. We can vote on trade agreements only after they have been negotiated and signed, but we are responsible for trade agreements negative effects. Over 3 million American manufacturing jobs have been lost.

American wages have stagnated. We have lost our family farms, and we have failed to encourage income equality in the developing nations with which we have trade agreements. That's after Fast Track.

Let's replace Fast Track with a better system. Congress should be able to decide with whom we negotiate trade agreements and what goes into those agreements. Let's restore the balance of powers on trade established in the Constitution.

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