Chuck Grassley: “this is a historic day. I am very proud of what we have accomplished. The Trade Act of 2002 will soon be sent to the…”

“this is a historic day. I am very proud of what we have accomplished. The Trade Act of 2002 will soon be sent to the President's desk for his signature, and America will once again take a leadership role in promoting international trade in the world economy. Let me briefly highlight the important provisions in this bill. First and most momentous, we restored the President's ability to negotiate strong trade deals, and send them back to Congress for an up or down vote. This authority has been absent for far too long, and I see this as one of the greatest successes of this Congress. Second, we renewed and expanded preferences for our important allies in the Andean region, which will help to eradicate the drug trade that threatens their stability, and our health and safety. Next, we reauthorized both the Generalized System of Preferences, which expired last year, and the Customs Service. And last of all, we renewed and expanded the Trade Adjustment Assistance program for workers who become displaced by trade.”