WASHINGTON, DC- At a news conference and rally today on Capitol Hill, U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) spoke out in favor of a new direction for U.S. trade policy. President Bush’s “Fast Track” authority that allows him to largely bypass Congress while negotiating trade deals expires this Saturday.
“Our manufacturing base in Pennsylvania has been devastated by the loss of more than 190,000 manufacturing jobs in the last seven years,” said Senator Casey. “This Administration’s trade policy has hastened that job loss. Our trade deficit is setting new records because of a lack of enforcement and a policy that has allowed China and other countries to manipulate their currency, subsidize their export industries, exploit workers, and block exports from the U.S.”
Senator Casey joined Senators Bryon Dorgan (D-ND), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Bernie Sanders (I-VT) along with Representatives Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), Linda Sanchez (D-CA), Betty Sutton (D-OH) and Phil Hare (D-IL).
Two weeks ago, Senator Casey met with U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab to urge the Bush Administration to include real enforcement of labor and environmental standards and benchmarks for success in U.S. trade deals.
The following groups also attended the rally and news conference the AFL-CIO, Change to Win, United Steelworkers, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, United Food and Commercial Workers, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, U.S. Business and Industry Council, Sierra Club, Friends of the Earth, Citizens Trade Campaign, National Farmers Union, National Family Farm Coalition, American Manufacturing Trade Action Coalition, Interfaith Working Group, United Methodist Church, NETWORK, China Currency Coalition, Americans for Democratic Action, and Jubilee USA.
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