David Minge: “There is no administration that I am aware of in recent history that has been as strong an advocate of trade…”

“There is no administration that I am aware of in recent history that has been as strong an advocate of trade, liberalization of trade policies, as the Clinton administration, and I think that all of us really ought to respect the record that they have established and not try to drag it down. The administration is asking for us to show restraint. The administration has been a very vocal supporter of IMF, and I think all of us have acknowledged that. We all know the administration has been a very strong supporter of fast track. The administration has indicated it would like to have the fast track vote after the first of the year. It feels like it is going to be a highly politicized vote, and if we are going to promote international trade, this is not the context in which to do it and this authority is not needed before the end of the year. The Secretary of Agriculture told us this at a hearing last Thursday. It is tragic if we turn the Fast Track debate into simply a pre-election game.”