Retiring Congressmen Make Plea for Free Trade
Rep. Ron Kind, D-Wis., one of the leading voices for free trade in the Democratic caucus, and Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., a free-trade purist in the Republican caucus, issued a joint paper of recommendations on trade on Dec. 29, just before they were both leaving office.
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"During our years of service in Congress, we have not agreed on every trade issue. But we both agree on the importance of pro-trade policies to lowering prices for consumers and businesses, opening up export markets to American goods and services, and deepening our security alliances with other nations," Toomey said. "It is time for Congress to right the ship on trade policy. Instead of throwing rocks in our own harbors, we should be focused on lifting all boats. We believe this set of bipartisan recommendations is a good place to start.”
In the paper, they wrote, "Despite never being approved by Congress, the current Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminum have laid the groundwork for a complex, ever-evolving regime of tariffs, quotas, tariff-rate quotas, side agreements to monitor 'overcapacity,' and negotiations on the carbon intensity of steel and aluminum -- all on a country-by-country basis." They said it's "no wonder" the World Trade Organization ruled the U.S. violated trade rules.
The recommendations include:
- Congress telling the administration to pursue traditional tariff-cutting free trade agreements, and not ones like the Japan mini-deal, that avoid a congressional vote because the tariff cuts were small enough to go through with only executive authority.
- Renewing and improving Trade Promotion Authority, or fast track for trade deals.
- Passing legislation to clarify that the president cannot withdraw from an FTA without Congress' assent; the legislation should also create a formal process for a congressional vote on exiting an agreement.
- Passing Section 232 reform, including a rule that no such tariffs can be imposed without congressional approval first, and allowing Congress a vote on whether to end the 232 tariffs and quotas on steel and aluminum.
- Encouraging the administration to negotiate reforms to the WTO's dispute settlement system