Steve Kagen: “last Friday it was announced that the Democratic leadership had struck a deal with the administration and the United…”

“last Friday it was announced that the Democratic leadership had struck a deal with the administration and the United States Trade Representative regarding how this country will approach trade agreements with other nations. While very few have seen the actual text of what this deal looks like, many of us in Congress have concerns as to how these new standards on labor and environment will realistically and effectively be enforced. As a member of the newly elected class of 2006, I was elected to help change the course of this country, to help change our Nation's trade policy in particular, a policy that cuts the legs out from under American workers and places our industries at a competitive disadvantage. It threatens our quality of life and our global environment at the same time. We are now operating under a flawed model; and until that model is fixed, our Nation's jobs and the livelihoods of our constituents in Wisconsin and elsewhere are in jeopardy. As we have seen in our trade with China, we have been unable, unable to stop illegal subsidies, unable to stop illegal dumping and blatant violations of basic human labor rights and environmental standards. What will we Americans have to give up next? Trade deals in the past were flawed, and the ones still being negotiated must show promise of helping American workers, of helping their families and American communities.”