By Reuters
WASHINGTON - President George W. Bush asked U.S. farm groups on Monday for help in winning "trade promotion authority," which would allow the White House to negotiate broad new trade agreements. In a meeting at the White House, Bush also took a swipe at Democrats pushing for tough labor and environmental provisions in future trade pacts. He urged Congress to send him a bill, "that's not laden down with excuses not to trade."
The debate over whether trade agreements ought to contain protection for workers and the environment has blocked progress this year on Bush's trade agenda.
Republicans oppose the measures, fearing they would lead to more restrictions on trade, not fewer, and scare developing countries away from trade talks.
"I like to remind people that, if you're a poor nation, it's going to be hard to treat your people well," Bush said at the meeting with representatives from 50 farm groups and key farm state lawmakers.
"If you're a poor nation, it's going to be hard to have good environmental policy and trade is the best way to eliminate poverty. Therefore, our trade agreements ought to be free from codicils that prevent us from freely trading."
The president's trade promotion authority, also known as "fast-track" negotiating authority, expired in 1994 and Congress has been unable to renew it since then.
The measure, which grants the president the authority to negotiate bilateral and multilateral trade deals that are either approved or disapproved, but not amended, by Congress, could come to a vote in Congress by autumn.
At a news conference Monday, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman said approval of trade promotion authority was critical to efforts to launch new round of global trade talks within the World Trade Organization later this year. Those negotiations would focus largely on agriculture subsidies.
"This could well be the last opportunity for a multilateral negotiating round to build on the progress that was achieved in the Uruguay Round," Veneman said, referring to the last round of world trade talks that established the WTO.
"If this fails, it may take a generation or so to launch another round. The U.S. administration really needs TPA (trade promotion authority) to help underscore our serious intent to launch successfully a new round."
Veneman and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Zoellick joined Bush at the White House meeting with farm groups.
While there has been increased activity on the issue in Congress, a consensus has not yet emerged.
A bill introduced last week by Rep. Phil Crane (R-Ill.), head of the House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee's subcommittee on trade, has been panned by Democrats for ignoring labor and environmental concerns.
At the news conference, Zoellick called Crane's bill a "very good start," but also said he was encouraged by efforts in the Senate to craft a bipartisan bill.
Sen. Charles Grassley, the top Republican on the Senate Finance Commitee, told reporters after the meeting with Bush he hoped for a compromise on labor and environmental provisions.
"We aren't saying ... these should not be talked about at all," the Iowa Republican said. But lawmakers should look at other options, such as monetary fines and binational panels, for enforcing labor and environmental provisions, he said.
With tax legislation now finished in Congress, Grassley said he expected Bush to a launch a "full crusade" to get trade promotion authority. Meanwhile, both opponents and supporters of the legislation are planning rallies on Tuesday.:
