Paul Tonko: “I was just going to add to that statement, Representative, that there was a GAO study, a report that was called for by…”

“I was just going to add to that statement, Representative, that there was a GAO study, a report that was called for by Representative George Miller and Representative Sandy Levin. That report clearly indicated that the provisions of these trade agreements have not been carefully and well-enough monitored and enforced. Also, violations that were discovered which require investigations were not done expeditiously. There are huge delays. That ought to raise some concern to Members of Congress who might just casually dismiss this authority that we should have to review these agreements. These agreements, again, are far beyond tariffs and trade barriers. They include public policy components that would range from worker protection to environmental concerns to food safety to consumer protection. These are all given dynamics that should not first and foremost be part of these agreements, but because they are, can have devastating consequences. Again, I think this effort here is about greed. It is about providing for those that can control and manipulate that economy at the expense of diminishing the worker. We have seen what has happened here as we have lost American jobs in our manufacturing base. The people who have been displaced from the manufacturing centers are now working in jobs that are providing for far less dollars-- remuneration--for the hard work that they invest into that new job.…”