Yesterday, I highlighted the rolling out of a very important piece of legislation: the Trade Reform, Accountability, Development, and Employment Act of 2008 (cleverly, the TRADE Act). So far, the only Senate co-sponsors, who have joined the bill’s sponsor Sherrod Brown, are Byron Dorgan, Russ Feingold, Bob Casey and Sheldon Whitehouse. So, today, it’s worth asking Sen. Obama: will you add your name as a co-sponsor immediately?
The TRADE Act is an unabashed assault on the forces of globalization that have ravaged the working conditions for millions of people here and around the globe. If passed it would effectively kill so-called "free trade" and usher in an entirely new era of trade policy. It is a very concrete road-map that encourages trade that benefits workers and communities, not simply investors and corporations.
During the presidential campaign, Sen. Obama was quite clear that he would not support NAFTA-style trade agreements in the future and that he would renegotiate NAFTA to strengthen labor and environmental provisions. Here is what his website says about trade:
Obama believes that trade with foreign nations should strengthen the American economy and create more American jobs. He will stand firm against agreements that undermine our economic security.
* Fight for Fair Trade: Obama will fight for a trade policy that opens up foreign markets to support good American jobs. He will use trade agreements to spread good labor and environmental standards around the world and stand firm against agreements like the Central American Free Trade Agreement that fail to live up to those important benchmarks. Obama will also pressure the World Trade Organization to enforce trade agreements and stop countries from continuing unfair government subsidies to foreign exporters and nontariff barriers on U.S. exports.
* Amend the North American Free Trade Agreement: Obama believes that NAFTA and its potential were oversold to the American people. Obama will work with the leaders of Canada and Mexico to fix NAFTA so that it works for American workers. has repeatedly linked the woes facing average people to
Sen. Obama, words into actions. We do not need to wait for you to win the presidency to begin to undo the many years of atrocious trade policy that has cost so many people a decent standard of living here and abroad. By adding your name as a co-sponsor, you, the Democratic nominee for president, will send a very clear–SPECIFIC–message about what you intend to do as president.
Here is a synopsis of the bill provided by Public Citizen:
•Section 3: Review and Report on Existing U.S. Trade Agreements. The TRADE Act requires the Comptroller General to conduct a comprehensive review of existing trade agreements. For each agreement now in effect, the bill requires collection of an array of economic, environmental and social indicator data. The TRADE Act also requires an analysis of how the current agreements measure up against the detailed description in the bill of what must and must not be included in future U.S. trade agreements.
•Section 4: What Must and Must Not Be Included in U.S. Trade Agreements. The TRADE Act contains a detailed description of the essential provisions that must be included in all future pacts, and what aspects of the existing model must never again be replicated. This section enumerates labor and environmental standards, national security exceptions and federalism protections that must be included in all pacts. Because today’s "trade" agreements extend far beyond traditional trade matters, this section also sets requirements with respect to affordable medicines and essential services (such as health care and education), farm policy, foreign investment, government procurement and food and product safety policy. (Please see "Detailed Description of Section 4 of the TRADE Act" for a 4-page outline of these terms.)
•Section 5: Renegotiation of Existing U.S. Trade Agreements. The TRADE Act requires the president to submit a plan to renegotiate current trade agreements to remedy the gaps identified by the Comptroller General between our current pacts and the criteria for good agreements listed in section 4. The bill requires the president to submit renegotiation plans prior to negotiating new agreements and prior to congressional consideration of pending agreements. This section emphasizes Congress’ exclusive constitutional trade authority "to regulate commerce with foreign nations" by providing criteria from Congress for renegotiations and a congressional role in reviewing the president’s renegotiation proposal.
• Section 6: Creation of a Congressional Trade Agreement Review Committee.
The Trade Act establishes a committee comprised of the chairs and ranking members of each committee whose jurisdiction is implicated by modern "trade" agreements to review and, as necessary, supplement, the president’s plan for renegotiations.
• Section 7: Sense-of-the-Congress: Goals Trade Agreements Should Achieve
The TRADE Act summarizes the policy outcomes that trade pacts should achieve.
• Section 8: Sense-of-the-Congress: Improving the Process for Trade Negotiations. The Trade Act concludes with a sense-of-the-Congress provision that sets out criteria for a new mechanism to replace the Fast Track negotiating process. To obtain agreements that benefit a wider array of interests, this new process includes Congress setting readiness criteria to select future negotiating partners; mandatory negotiating objectives based on the section 4 criteria of what must be and must not be in future trade agreements; and the common-sense requirements that Congress must certify that the objectives were met, and then vote on an agreement before it can be signed. These criteria for a new trade negotiating mechanism to replace Fast Track have been supported in AFL-CIO, Change to Win and National Farmers Union resolutions.
This legislation is supported by labor, farmers, consumer groups and a wide array of citizen advocates.
There are electoral aspects here as well. I have argued that the Democratic victories in the 2006 elections were powered, in part, by the trade issue, which is a reflection of the economic nightmare facing so many people. Taking on the force of corporate globalization is also a road to Republican voters’ hearts and minds. And while I don’t buy the over-emphasis on white working-class voters as a soft spot for Sen. Obama, it is clear that huge numbers of working class voters generally–of all races–would respond to an economic populism theme that puts, at its core, a new vision for trade–and the TRADE Act does precisely that.
Let’s be clear: this piece of legislation will be vehemently fought by the very special interests that Sen. Obama has said he will send packing if he is elected president. Those corporate special interests are the very people Sen. Obama has now barred as contributors to the Democratic National Committee.
Sen. Obama?
