Gerald Kleczka: “the proponents of the Chile and Singapore trade agreements are correct. The bills before us today will lead to increased…”

“the proponents of the Chile and Singapore trade agreements are correct. The bills before us today will lead to increased jobs and increased exports. Unfortunately, those increases will take place in Chile and Singapore and not in the United States. Since the first contraction of the United States gross domestic product in March, 2001, our trade deficit has risen by 31 percent. During the same period we have lost over 2.4 manufacturing jobs. Congress should be considering measures to grow the economy and create jobs instead of agreements before us today that are just one more step down the road of growing trade deficits and lost employment. These bills represent a significant step backwards from the progress made on the Jordan Free Trade Agreement and even a step backwards from the bill authorizing fast track. Passage of these agreements will set a horrible precedent for future trade negotiations and will be an omen for even more U.S. job losses. The devil is in the details: The Chile and Singapore Free Trade Agreements contain only one workers' rights provision protected by a dispute settlement procedure, and this is that a country enforce its own labor laws. However, the bills do not commit Chile or Singapore to even have any labor laws or to ensure that their labor laws meet any international standards.”