Cord Byrd: “Mr. President, there can be little doubt that the various agencies of the executive branch are increasingly in the…”

“Mr. President, there can be little doubt that the various agencies of the executive branch are increasingly in the driver's seat on the important matter of trade. Meanwhile, the Congress and the American people are merely being brought along for the ride. There are many reasons for this growing inequity, not the least of which is the willingness--at times, in fact, the eagerness--of this body to give us its rights and responsibilities under the Constitution. The Constitution mandates to the legislative branch--the people's branch--authority over foreign trade matters. It cannot, however, force the institution to exercise this authority and assert itself in trade matters. That requires the will of the Members. The lessons we have learned from our most recent experiences with trade agreements should be incentive enough for us to insist on our rights with regard to trade matters. We, after all, represent communities that have lost businesses to other countries and families who have lost their jobs to foreign firms. Yet here we are, once again, considering a measure that further ties the hands of the members of this institution in the area of trade.”