WASHINGTON – Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin, a trade supporter, today voted against the Trade Promotion Authority Act, calling HR 3005 "seriously flawed and at odds with other important goals for this nation." Instead, the Congressman supported an alternative proposal that would have effectively addressed a number of key issues such as labor and the environment, while providing the President "fast track" negotiating authority.

The Congressman, who in the past has voted for NAFTA, GATT and Permanent Normal Trade Relations for China, was particularly critical of the failure to protect strong anti-dumping and countervailing duty (AD/CVD) provisions for U.S. industry in future trade bills. "For American workers and manufacturers, the laws safeguarding fair international trade should be our very highest priority. Too often our open markets – the largest in the world – are the only place where unfairly subsidized goods can be sold."

As an example, the Congressman pointed to the flood of below cost foreign steel imports into the United States as a serious threat to the U.S. steel industry. In October, the International Trade Commission (ITC) ruled that the U.S. steel industry had been "seriously injured" in recent years by the flood of unfairly traded imports. Steel manufacturers would have little recourse without AD/CVD laws.

Rep. Cardin also stressed that HR 3005 failed to require basic international labor standards regarding discrimination, child labor, forced labor and the right to bargain collectively agreed to by many nations. He also criticized the bill for failing to advance international environmental standards.

"I support giving the President fast rack trade negotiating authority, but it has to been done in a way that protects our overall trading goals: advancing global environmental protections, protecting workers and barring unfairly subsidized imports -- while lowering economic barriers to increased trade."