Standing Up for Arkansas Farmers, Workers
 
December 7, 2001
 
On Thursday, the House of Representatives passed by one vote a measure that would grant trade promotion authority, or ‘fast track,’ to the President.  
Unfortunately, this fast track legislation would take away much of Congress’s oversight ability to make sure that our trade agreements don’t injure American farmers and workers.  In addition, it would give the President the authority to eliminate important subsidy programs for our farm families, such as those outlined in this year’s Farm Bill, if he believed they conflicted with potential trade agreements.  
As a member of the House Agriculture Committee, I fought hard earlier this year to help write a Farm Bill that truly supports our farm families.  Without the programs provided in this Farm Bill, we will continue to lose more and more farm families.  

I support fair trade, but I could not support granting the President trade authority that takes away powers granted to Congress in the Constitution while leaving us with no assurances that the livelihoods of the farmers and workers in the Fourth Congressional District and across America would be protected.

Over the last few years, there have been a number of trade agreements passed, but they’ve been free trade not fair trade.  In fact, NAFTA alone has cost the Fourth Congressional District some 9,000 jobs while only creating some 3,000 jobs.

Before this year comes to a close, it’s time for Congress to address the important priorities facing our nation by enacting a new Farm Bill, passing an economic stimulus package that will truly boost our economy, providing relief to the hundreds of thousands of workers who have been laid off as a result of the sagging economy and the terrorist attacks of September 11, and finishing the appropriations measures for the current fiscal year.  I am focused on addressing those priorities.


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