Max Baucus: “I rise today to thank Mr. Andrew Harig for his hard work on the Senate Finance Committee. Andy was on the staff of the…”

“I rise today to thank Mr. Andrew Harig for his hard work on the Senate Finance Committee. Andy was on the staff of the Finance Committee throughout most of the 107th Congress. He was an integral part of the international trade policy team which, among other things, worked hard to win passage of the implementing legislation for the U.S.-Jordan Free Trade Agreement and the Trade Act of 2002. In my estimation, last Congress was the most productive in at least a decade on important international trade legislation. Last year, we finally built a new bipartisan consensus that ended a deadlock that had frozen progress on most new trade agreements for nearly a decade, finally made some real progress on integrating labor and environmental issues into trade negotiations, and revamped the U.S. programs for workers who lose their jobs because of trade. In the press, the credit for these achievements was given to Senator Grassley, Representative Thomas, myself, and other Members of Congress. But as is always the case, the achievements on trade could not have been made were it not for the contributions of people like Andy who toil behind the scenes. Without their efforts there would be no legislation passed. In Andy's case, he cheerfully undertook one of the most thankless tasks on the Finance Committee's list of responsibilities--passage of the Miscellaneous Tariff Bill.”