Max Baucus: “I am proud of the entire conference agreement--but I am particularly proud of the TAA provisions. For the first time…”

“I am proud of the entire conference agreement--but I am particularly proud of the TAA provisions. For the first time since 1974, we are partnering a grant of Presidential authority to negotiate agreements that expand trade with a serious commitment to deal with the downside of trade expansion. We all know that trade greatly benefits our economy as a whole. But we also know that a Government decision to pursue trade liberalization can have adverse consequences for some. As President Kennedy recognized in 1962, we, as a government, have an obligation ``to render assistance to those who suffer as a result of national trade policy.'' The trade adjustment assistance program has been around for 40 years. During that time, it has quietly helped thousands of trade-impacted workers to retrain and make a new start. But the program has also been criticized for being too complicated, underfunded, and available to too few workers. This conference report will go a long way toward solving these problems and making TAA work better for working Americans. Does it have everything in it that I could have wished? To be honest, no. That is the nature of compromise. But overall, I think we have done very well indeed.”