[Ip-health] Wall Street Journal: Democrats' New Trade Agenda May Stall Broader Bush Goals

[Thiru Balasubramaniam]

<SNIP>

WASHINGTON -- In a move posing new political complications for the Bush
administration, House Democrats are building support for an initiative
that would put fresh emphasis on environmental protection and access to
low-cost medicines, as well as labor rights, in all new international
trade pacts.

<SNIP>

The initiative is expected to be unveiled today by House Ways and Means
Chairman Charles Rangel (D., N.Y.), who has vowed to rebuild the
bipartisan consensus on free trade that existed in Congress for much of
the 1990s. In the near term, the Democratic gambit appears likely to
frustrate White House hopes of winning rapid votes this spring on
pending free trade deals with Panama, Peru and Colombia. Beyond that,
it lays out more clearly the wider set of issues the administration
must confront in getting President Bush's trade agenda on track during
his final two years in office.

<SNIP>

In addition to enhanced labor protections, top-ranking Democrats have
called for the administration to give greater attention to
environmental concerns, including problems with illegal logging in
Latin America and Asia. Some Democrats have also called for trade deals
to be more flexible in granting access to medicines, giving greater
protections to generic drug makers, at the expense of brand-name
pharmaceutical manufacturers.

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http://online.wsj.com/article/SB117496579527450080.html


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Democrats' New Trade Agenda
May Stall Broader Bush Goals
By GREG HITT
March 27, 2007; Page A2

WASHINGTON -- In a move posing new political complications for the Bush
administration, House Democrats are building support for an initiative
that would put fresh emphasis on environmental protection and access to
low-cost medicines, as well as labor rights, in all new international
trade pacts.

The initiative is expected to be unveiled today by House Ways and Means
Chairman Charles Rangel (D., N.Y.), who has vowed to rebuild the
bipartisan consensus on free trade that existed in Congress for much of
the 1990s. In the near term, the Democratic gambit appears likely to
frustrate White House hopes of winning rapid votes this spring on
pending free trade deals with Panama, Peru and Colombia. Beyond that,
it lays out more clearly the wider set of issues the administration
must confront in getting President Bush's trade agenda on track during
his final two years in office.

Besides pending Latin American pacts, the administration is close to
wrapping up a major trade deal with Korea, and must convince the
Congress to renew the president's trade-negotiating authority, which
expires at the end of June. Renewing that authority is considered key
to the long-term prospects for the Doha Round of global trade talks.

In addition to enhanced labor protections, top-ranking Democrats have
called for the administration to give greater attention to
environmental concerns, including problems with illegal logging in
Latin America and Asia. Some Democrats have also called for trade deals
to be more flexible in granting access to medicines, giving greater
protections to generic drug makers, at the expense of brand-name
pharmaceutical manufacturers.

The move also comes as House Democrats are flexing their muscles on
several issues in which they differ with the White House, including
taxes, spending on domestic aid programs and the war in Iraq. With the
Democrats taking control of Congress this year, the administration has
sought compromises in some areas, including trade.

Late last year, the White House signaled its support for greater
labor-rights protections in trade deals, in a bid to win Democratic
support for the Latin American deals. Democrats have long complained
about the lack of firm worker protections in trade deals. The White
House overture on labor led to several private discussions between Mr.
Rangel and U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab. They had once hoped
to forge a labor-rights compromise by the end of March, providing
enough time for the three trade pacts to be considered in Congress
before Mr. Bush's trade-negotiating authority expires June 30.

Congressional officials suggested last night that there might be ways
to push back the March deadline, if the administration decides to
negotiate in good faith on the additional Democratic concerns beyond
labor that are to be outlined today. "If they're willing to reach out
their hand, we can change trade policy," a congressional official said
of the administration.

Schwab spokesman Sean Spicer said the administration wants to "find a
way forward" on trade and continue the discussions with Mr. Rangel. "We
look forward to getting a proposal from the Democrats," he said.

Write to Greg Hitt at greg.hitt@wsj.com1

   	URL for this article:

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Thiru Balasubramaniam
Geneva Representative
Knowledge Ecology International (KEI)
voice +41.22.791.6727
fax +41.22.723.2988
mobile +41 76 508 0997
thiru@keionline.org