New Bill Proposes Review of Trade Agreements

Senator Sherrod Brown and Representative Mike Michaud announced the introduction of the TRADE Act on June 2nd at a news conference on Capitol Hill. The bill, supported by both the AFL-CIO and Change to Win, demands a thorough review of existing trade agreements and allows for renegotiation of the pacts. In addition, the bill sets forth guidelines for what must and must not be included in future trade agreements.

In a letter of support for the bill from the Steelworkers, Holly Hart, Legislative Director, wrote "Support for this bill will demonstrate to the public that we support responsible fair trade agreements that take account of the interests of workers, families, consumers, farmers and faith-based groups--the foundation of our democracy."

According to Bruce Raynor, General President of UNITE-HERE, "This new initiative is an example of trade legislation that breaks with the NAFTA-WTO model. The idea behind this bill is that trade should not be an end in itself, but rather a means for achieving societal goals such as economic justice, promotion of basic human rights and environmental wellbeing."

For an analysis of the bill, including a list of original sponsors and endorsers, see Public Citizen's TRADE Act fact sheet.