Jon S. Corzine: “The American Public Health Association is concerned about the privatization of some parts of the Medicare Program and…”

“The American Public Health Association is concerned about the privatization of some parts of the Medicare Program and medical services for the poor. The American Council on Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation have voiced deep concerns about the GATT negotiations. As they said in a statement, higher education is supposed to serve the public interest and should not be a commodity. Yet the threat posed to education by privatization through trade agreements is very real. Under some prospective trade rules, States could be barred from subsidizing State universities, using the argument that such subsidies put private universities at a competitive disadvantage. I do not think that is what the American people want trade negotiations to accomplish. They do not want unelected trade bureaucrats setting our policy with regard to public services. Let me return to the explanation of the amendment. The amendment is very simple and states: A principal negotiating objective of the United States is to ensure that trade agreements do not include a commitment by the United States to privatize significant public services, including services related to (i) national security; (ii) Social Security; (iii) public health and safety; and (iv) education. It then defines the term 'privatize' to mean: . . . the transfer of responsibility for, or administration of, a government function from a government entity to a private entity. And that is it.…”