-9999

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. WYDEN. Mr. President, in a moment I am going to put forward a unanimous consent request to pass a trade bill cosponsored by all the Democrats and Republicans on the relevant committee in the other body-- the Ways and Means Committee--and was ultimately passed by the other body--the House--by voice vote. So there was no opposition in the other body. In fact, it was put forward by the Republican Chair Jason Smith and the Democratic Ranking Member Richard Neal, as well as Senator Crapo and myself over here.

I think it would be fair to say that this kind of unanimity over in the House, where sometimes they can't agree to order a 7-Up, is pretty amazing--that they passed a trade bill unanimously.

Before I make the UC request on this bipartisan, bicameral bill called the United States-Taiwan Initiative on 21st-Century Trade First Agreement Implementation, I am just going to talk briefly about why the bill is so important.

The basic proposition is this: First and foremost, the U.S. Congress fully supports deepening our trading relationship with Taiwan and wants to ensure the recent agreement covering trade facilitation, anti- corruption, and small business is durable and legally sound. Not only is Taiwan a critical market for U.S. exporters, it is also a democracy that shares our values and has strong ties with Oregonians and Americans across the land.

Next, this body wants to be clear that trade and trade agreements are within the constitutional authority of the Congress. One of the ways the Senate demonstrates this is by approving trade agreements just like this one.

Finally, this bill requires greater transparency and consultation, as well as public review, for future Taiwan trade agreements. These ideas can sound a little abstract, so I will put it in real-world terms.

In a few hours, I am heading to rural Oregon to meet with my constituents and hold town hall meetings. Farmers and ranchers in Grant, Harney, and Malheur counties care a lot about trade. They want new markets to sell wheat and potatoes and the like.

I am never going to tell a farmer in Ontario or La Grande that they don't deserve the right to read a trade agreement and understand how it affects them before it is signed and wrapped up.

Trade agreements that affect millions of Americans can't be done in the dark. Congress and the American people need to know what is in these deals and how they benefit American interests.

I look forward to working with the USTR as it negotiates the bigger ticket items with Taiwan--issues like digital trade, labor, environment, and agriculture, as outlined in the negotiating mandate. Future agreements need to bulldoze barriers to trade for Oregon exporters, including red tape like labeling rules and technical standards that make it hard for exporters to sell their goods. Involving Congress and the public is going to help the administration break down these barriers.

This is a proposal that brings both sides together. As I said, every Member of the Ways and Means Committee--every Democrat, every Republican--is on board. So the glide path to passage here was no accident. My colleagues, Ranking Member Crapo, as well as Chair Smith and Ranking Member Neal worked with me to hammer out a bill that could receive that kind of attention.

My colleagues are eager to get back home, so here's the bottom line: Passing the Taiwan trade agreement bill is a can't-miss opportunity for the Senate to support Taiwan, clarify Congress's role in trade, and call for more transparency and consultation.

In a moment, I am going to make a unanimous consent request.

Mr. President, I rise in strong support of Senator Wyden's request for unanimous consent for the Senate to proceed to consideration of H.R. 4004, the U.S.-Taiwan Initiative Implementation Act.

This is a short bipartisan bill--but the principles it defends are immense. The U.S.-Taiwan Initiative Implementation Act provides a firm ``no'' to attempts to take away power from where it properly belongs.

First, it says ``no'' to China's demand that the United States ``immediately revoke'' the agreement that the bill approves. The agreement itself is very limited--and based on a small subset of commitments in the United States-Mexico- Canada Agreement.

Many in this chamber correctly wanted something far more ambitious. Yet, even this narrow agreement is too much for China. China has no right to interfere in Taiwan's trade policy.

For decades, Taiwan participated independently of China at the World Trade Organization and negotiated trade agreements. This bill rejects China's attempt to deny the people of Taiwan their right to deepen economic relations with their trading partners.

Second, this bill says ``no'' to the attempts made by the executive branch to usurp the constitutional authority Congress has over trade. This Administration wrongly asserts that it can conclude trade agreements if changes to existing law are ``unnecessary.'' It is Congress that constitutionally leads on trade.

Finally, this bill says ``no'' to denying Congress and the American people a fair understanding of our trade policy. It requires the Administration to share negotiating texts with Congress and make public any subsequent agreement under this initiative for at least 60 days before the Administration signs it.

The Senate should join me in saying ``yes'' to this bill, as did every single one of our colleagues in the House of Representatives. I second Senator Wyden's request and ask the Senate to agree.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. WYDEN. I am going to yield now to Chairman Menendez, the chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, because he and I work very closely together on all of these kinds of issues, on the Foreign Relations Committee and the Finance Committee, and I have the good fortune of having Senator Menendez, essentially, sit next to me in the Finance Committee.

So we are going to be working together. I am going to make the unanimous consent request in a minute. But I want to yield to Chairman Menendez.

Thank you for the fact that we are working together today. We have got lots to do in the future and we are going to work together.

I yield to my colleague.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. WYDEN. Mr. President, before I make my unanimous consent request, I just want to reiterate that Senator Menendez and I are going to be working together on these issues. He made this point with respect to taxes, and we are going to be able to find common ground, I believe, with Senator Crapo, who can't be here today but who is very, very strongly in support of this effort.

Let me repeat that, colleagues. Senator Crapo, the ranking member on the Finance Committee, is very strong for this effort.

4004, which was received from the House and is at the desk. I further ask that the bill be considered read a third time and passed and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. WYDEN. Mr. President, I will be brief because I know my colleagues want to go to the other body.

I think this is very unfortunate. This is an extraordinary opportunity for our country, and this is a great opportunity for the world.

The fact is that there has been an extensive review of this particular agreement. The administration talked to a number of Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle. This legislation went through the House of Representatives unanimously, and that was after every member of the relevant committee--the House Ways and Means Committee-- cosponsored the legislation. They didn't just vote for it; they cosponsored it.

I think it is very unfortunate for my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to object. The chair of the Ways and Means Committee, Congressman Smith, the ranking member of the Ways and Means Committee, Congressman Neal, and the ranking Republican on the Finance Committee, Senator Crapo--all of us--have been working for months now on this particular proposal, and I think it is very unfortunate that our colleague from Arkansas has decided to object. It is his right, but I think it is very unfortunate for our country because this could have been a very, very special day with the passage of this.

We are going to be back here, working together, as you have heard-- Chairman Menendez from the Foreign Relations Committee and I and Senator Crapo. We are going to work together with every Member of this body to get this very important trade initiative enacted into law.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source