Let the sun set on fast track

Member Commentary by Roger Brenna, Dakota Resource Council

Did you know that for the last five years Congress gave up its authority to change a trade agreement? Yep, they outsourced their constitutional responsibility to regulate foreign trade and handed it to the executive branch of government.

Fortunately, Congress can regain its power soon because this unfair, undemocratic provision, called Fast Track, ends on June 30, 2007.

Fast Track lets the President make trade deals with other countries without any say from Congress, the branch of government closest to the people. Congress can only vote ‘yes’ or ‘no’ on these trade deals.

The Administration has fast tracked several controversial pacts through Congress fairly recently, including the Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) and trade agreements with Chile, Singapore, Morocco, Australia, Bahrain, and Oman.

We’re losing ground. Since early 2001, we’ve lost almost 1 million jobs to outsourcing. We have a trade deficit, and we’re becoming a net importer of food.

Our Senators and Representatives should review and improve trade agreements to strengthen economic opportunities for American workers, farmers, ranchers, and businesses.

Trade agreements must strengthen the health, environment, food sovereignty, economic stability, local control, working conditions, and labor rights of all countries involved. Fast Track is proof that without Congressional oversight of trade negotiations, we cannot meet these goals.
As long as Fast Track drives trade agreements, we’ll get more of the same unfair trade pacts that hurt the farmers, ranchers, workers, and businesses of our great country.

Roger Brenna represented WORC at the Citizen’s Trade Campaign meeting last February in Washington, DC., to develop alternatives to fast track.