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Book Crs Report for Congress

    Book Details:
  • Author : J. F. Hornbeck
  • Publisher : BiblioGov
  • Release : 2013-10
  • ISBN : 9781294021810
  • Pages : 30 pages

Download or read book Crs Report for Congress written by J. F. Hornbeck and published by BiblioGov. This book was released on 2013-10 with total page 30 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: On July 1, 2007, Trade Promotion Authority (TPA -- formerly known as fast track), expired. TPA is the authority Congress grants to the President to enter into certain free trade agreements (FTAs), and to have their implementing bills considered under expedited legislative procedures, provided he observes certain statutory obligations in negotiating them. TPA allows Congress to exercise its constitutional authority over trade, while giving the President added leverage to exercise his authority to negotiate trade agreements by effectively assuring U.S. trade partners that final agreements are given swift and unamended consideration. TPA reflects years of debate, cooperation, and compromise between Congress and the Executive Branch in finding a pragmatic accommodation to the exercise of each branch's respective authorities. The core provisions of the fast track legislative procedures have remained unchanged since first enacted in 1974, although Congress has expanded trade negotiation objectives, oversight, and presidential notification requirements. While early versions of fast track/TPA received broad bipartisan support, renewal efforts became increasingly controversial as fears grew over real and perceived negative effects of trade, and as the trade debate became more partisan in nature, culminating in a largely party-line vote on the 2002 renewal. The current renewal debate is centered on ...

Book Trade Promotion Authority  TPA  Renewal  Core Labor Standards Issues

Download or read book Trade Promotion Authority TPA Renewal Core Labor Standards Issues written by and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page 25 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Trade promotion authority (TPA), formerly known as fast-track authority, is scheduled to expire July 1, 2007. With it will expire the authority: (a) that Congress grants the President to enter into certain trade agreements, and (b) for Congress to consider the agreements implementing legislation under expedited procedures. Currently, the Administration is negotiating a number of trade agreements that may not be completed before the current TPA is set to expire. If these activities are to continue, TPA/fast-track renewal may be a central issue in the 110th Congress. Within the debate, a major issue is expected to be whether to include as a principal negotiating objective in trade agreements, enforceable core labor standards. Two TPA/fast-track authorities have incorporated labor provisions. The first, the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988 (OTCA), which expired in 1994, included the broad, general objective: to promote worker rights. The North American Free Trade Agreement, with its labor side agreement, was negotiated under OTCA. The second and current TPA authority with labor provisions, the Trade Act of 2002, includes protections for labor, modified by protections for country governments, businesses and investors. Seven free trade agreements (FTAs) with Chile, Singapore, Australia, Morocco, Bahrain, Oman, and the Dominican Republic and Central America were negotiated under this authority. All have only one enforceable labor requirement: that each country not fail to enforce its own labor laws in a manner affecting trade between the parties. (In contrast to this, the U.S.-Jordan FTA, negotiated in 2000 and approved in 2001 without TPA/fast track authority, includes enforceable labor provisions.).

Book Trade Promotion Authority  TPA  Fast Track Renewal

Download or read book Trade Promotion Authority TPA Fast Track Renewal written by and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Trade promotion authority (TPA), formerly known as "fast-track" authority, is scheduled to expire July 1, 2007. With it will expire the authority: (a) that Congress grants the President to enter into certain trade agreements, and (b) for Congress to consider the agreements' implementing legislation under expedited procedures. Currently, the Administration is negotiating a number of trade agreements that may not be completed before the current TPA is set to expire. If these activities are to continue, TPA/fast-track renewal may be a central issue in the 110th Congress. Within the debate, a major issue is expected to be whether to include as a principal negotiating objective in trade agreements, "enforceable core labor standards." Two TPA/fast-track authorities have incorporated labor provisions. The first, the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988 (OTCA), which expired in 1994, included the broad, general objective: "to promote worker rights." The North American Free Trade Agreement, with its labor side agreement, was negotiated under OTCA. The second and current TPA/fast-track authority with labor provisions, the Trade Act of 2002, includes protections for labor, modified by protections for country governments, businesses and investors. Seven free trade agreements (FTAs) -- with Chile, Singapore, Australia, Morocco, Bahrain, Oman, and the Dominican Republic and Central America -- were negotiated under this authority. All have only one enforceable labor requirement: that each country not fail to enforce its own labor laws in a manner affecting trade between the parties. (In contrast to this, the U.S.-Jordan FTA, negotiated in 2000 and approved in 2001 without TPA/fast track authority, includes enforceable labor provisions.) Major options for labor provisions in renewed TPA focus on whether principal negotiating objectives should include "enforceable core labor standards." Supporters argue that including these could help: (1) slow the offshoring of certain U.S. jobs; (2) protect foreign workers against exploitative corporate behavior; (3) support the ability of workers to share in the gains from international trade; and (4) fend off an international "race to the bottom" based on labor costs. Opponents argue that: (1) core labor standards should be promoted by the International Labor Organization, not by trade agreements; (2) as countries develop, they adopt higher labor standards on their own; (3) stronger worker protections could discourage international investment; and (4) labor standards are disguised protectionism. History shows that with or without FTAs, trade will likely continue to grow. This report examines issues relating to TPA/fast-track labor provisions in the larger context of global labor issues. It: (1) identifies the players and their positions; (2) tracks the enforceable labor provisions in TPA/fast-track laws and the FTAs negotiated under them; (3) presents some legislative options for new TPA/fast-track labor provisions; and (4) sets out arguments for and against enforceable core labor standards. Finally, it looks at possible outcomes and implications of the various legislative options. This report will be updated as events warrant.

Book Trade Promotion Authority  TPA  and the Role of Congress in Trade Policy

Download or read book Trade Promotion Authority TPA and the Role of Congress in Trade Policy written by J. F. Hornbeck and published by DIANE Publishing. This book was released on 2010 with total page 24 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This report presents background and analysis on the development of Trade Promotion Authority (TPA), which expired on July 1, 2007. The report also includes a summary of the major provisions under the recently expired authority and a discussion of the issues that have arisen in the debate over TPA renewal. It also explores the policy options available to Congress and will be updated as the congressional debate unfolds.

Book Trade Promotion Authority  Tpa  and the Role of Congress in Trade Policy

Download or read book Trade Promotion Authority Tpa and the Role of Congress in Trade Policy written by Congressional Research Congressional Research Service and published by CreateSpace. This book was released on 2015-01-23 with total page 26 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Legislation to renew TPA is expected to be introduced in the 114th Congress. On July 1, 2007, Trade Promotion Authority (TPA-previously known as fast track) expired. TPA is the authority Congress grants to the President to enter into certain reciprocal trade agreements, and to have their implementing bills considered under expedited legislative procedures, provided the President observes certain statutory obligations. TPA defines how Congress has chosen to exercise its constitutional authority over a particular aspect of trade policy, while giving the President added leverage to negotiate trade agreements by effectively assuring U.S. trade partners that final agreements will be given timely and unamended consideration. On July 30, 2013, President Obama first publicly requested that Congress reauthorize TPA and he reiterated his request for TPA in his January 20, 2015, State of the Union address. Legislation to renew TPA-the Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities Act of 2014-was introduced in the 113th Congress (H.R. 3830) (S. 1900), but it was not acted upon. TPA reflects decades of debate, cooperation, and compromise between Congress and the executive branch in finding a pragmatic accommodation to the exercise of each branch's respective authorities over trade policy. The expedited legislative procedures have not changed since first codified in the Trade Act of 1974 (P.L.93-618). Congress, however, has required that the authority to use TPA be periodically reauthorized, and at times has chosen to revise trade negotiation objectives, the consultative mechanism, and presidential notification requirements. While early versions of fast track/TPA received bipartisan support, later renewal efforts have been more controversial, culminating in a more partisan vote on the 2002 TPA renewal. Future debates on TPA renewal may center on trade negotiation objectives, congressional oversight of trade negotiations, trade agreement enforcement, and clarifying the congressional authority over approval of reciprocal trade agreements and trade policy more generally, among others. TPA renewal may become a more pressing issue in the 114th Congress because current trade negotiations on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), and the Trade in Services Agreement (TISA) are in progress. Technically, TPA is not necessary to begin or even conclude trade negotiations, but it is widely understood to be a key element of defining congressional authority, and of passing trade agreement implementing legislation. Therefore, its renewal can be construed as signaling serious congressional support for moving ahead with trade negotiations. Addressing congressional concerns over the definition and operation of TPA may be a central part of the debate. Although there appears to be support for renewal of TPA in Congress, the details of the legislation are likely to be subject to considerable debate, including the specific treatment of any related TAA program reauthorization. This report presents background and analysis on the development of TPA, a summary of the major provisions under the expired authority, and a discussion of the issues that have arisen in the debate over TPA renewal. It also explores some of the policy options available to Congress.

Book Crs Report for Congress

    Book Details:
  • Author : J. F. Hornbeck
  • Publisher : BiblioGov
  • Release : 2013-10
  • ISBN : 9781293021040
  • Pages : 26 pages

Download or read book Crs Report for Congress written by J. F. Hornbeck and published by BiblioGov. This book was released on 2013-10 with total page 26 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: On July 1, 2007, Trade Promotion Authority (TPA--previously fast track), expired. TPA is the authority Congress grants to the President to enter into certain reciprocal (free) trade agreements (FTAs), and to have their implementing bills considered under expedited legislative procedures, provided he observes certain statutory obligations in negotiating them. TPA defines how Congress has chosen to exercise its constitutional authority over a particular aspect of trade policy, while presumably giving the President added leverage to exercise his authority to negotiate trade agreements by effectively assuring U.S. trade partners that final agreements will be given swift and unamended consideration. TPA reflects years of debate, cooperation, and compromise between Congress and the Executive Branch in finding a pragmatic accommodation to the exercise of each branch's respective authorities over trade policy. The core provisions of the fast track legislative procedures have not changed since first enacted in 1974, although Congress has expanded trade negotiation objectives, oversight, and presidential notification requirements. While early versions of fast track/TPA received broad bipartisan support, renewal efforts have become increasingly controversial as fears have grown over the negative effects of trade, and as the trade debate has become more partisan and constituent driven, culminating in a party-line vote ...

Book Trade Promotion Authority  TPA  Renewal

Download or read book Trade Promotion Authority TPA Renewal written by and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This report is a brief overview of key issues addressed in CRS Report RL33864, Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) Renewal: Core Labor Standards Issues. Trade promotion authority (TPA), formerly known as "fast-track" authority, is scheduled to expire July 1, 2007. With it will expire the President's authority to negotiate trade agreements that Congress will then consider without amendment and with limited debate. For the 110th Congress, a likely issue in this debate is whether to include enforceable core labor standards as a principal negotiating objective in trade agreements. Accordingly, this report (1) identifies key labor provisions in the current TPA law and how they have translated into free trade agreements negotiated under it; (2) presents some legislative options, and summarizes arguments for and against listing enforceable core labor standards as a principal negotiating objective; and (3) looks at possible outcomes and implications of the legislative options. This report will be updated as events warrant.

Book Trade Promotion Authority  TPA

Download or read book Trade Promotion Authority TPA written by and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: On July 1, 2007, Trade Promotion Authority (TPA -- formerly fast track) is set to expire. TPA is the authority Congress grants to the President to enter into certain trade agreements, and to have their implementing bills considered under expedited legislative procedures, provided he observes certain statutory obligations in negotiating them. TPA allows Congress to exercise its constitutional authority over trade, while giving the President added negotiating leverage by effectively assuring U.S. trade partners that final agreements are given swift and unamended consideration. President Bush formally requested TPA renewal on January 31, 2007. TPA reflects years of debate, cooperation, and compromise between Congress and the Executive Branch. Congress has express constitutional authority to impose duties and regulate foreign commerce, while the President has the sole authority to negotiate international agreements and exerts broad power over U.S. foreign policy. TPA arose from a pragmatic need to accommodate these authorities in the conduct of U.S. trade policy, as well as address concerns that constituent pressures can often lead to poor trade policy decisions. The "Smoot-Hawley" Tariff Act of 1930, for example, raised tariffs significantly, diminishing trade and prolonging the Great Depression. In response, Congress in 1934 delegated to the President authority to implement "pre-approved" reductions in tariff rates. TPA evolved in 1974 from this precedent to allow the President to enter into non-tariff barrier (NTB) agreements, provided he observes congressional negotiating requirements set out in the statute. The core provisions of the fast track legislative procedures have remained unchanged since first enacted, although Congress has expanded trade negotiation objectives, oversight, and presidential notification requirements. While early versions of fast track/TPA received broad bipartisan support, renewal efforts became increasingly controversial as fears grew over the perceived negative effects of trade, and as the trade debate became more partisan in nature, culminating in a largely party-line vote on the 2002 renewal. The current renewal debate is centered on the broad effects of trade on the United States, with an emphasis on at least four specific issues: stronger labor and environment provisions; stricter enforcement of trade agreements; enhanced adjustment and assistance programs; and revisions to the congressional consultation process. Congress faces a difficult challenge given the number of trade negotiations, including the WTO Doha Round and bilateral agreements with South Korea, Malaysia, and Panama, among others, that are close to being concluded before TPA expires. Congress can choose among various options: no action; temporary extension; revision and renewal; permanent authority; or some hybrid solution. How this issue plays out depends on a host of variables, including the status of uncompleted negotiations, the economic effects of pursuing trade liberalization as perceived by various stakeholders, the political will to compromise between the Bush Administration and Congress, and the willingness and ability of the 110th Congress, with its new Members and majority, to craft a bipartisan solution. This report will be updated as events warrant.

Book Trade Promotion Authority  Fast Track Authority for Trade Agreements

Download or read book Trade Promotion Authority Fast Track Authority for Trade Agreements written by and published by . This book was released on 2003 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: One of the major trade issues in the 107th Congress (2001-2002) was whether Congress would approve trade promotion authority (TPA; formerly called fast-track authority) for trade agreements. Under these provisions, Congress agrees to consider legislation to implement a trade agreement under special legislative procedures that limit debate and allow no amendment. The President is required to consult with congressional committees during negotiation and notify Congress at major stages. This report gives background on the origin of TPA/fast-track legislation, trade agreements negotiated under such legislation in the past, the lapse of legislation in 1994, and attempts at renewal in the late 1990s. The report also follows TPA/fasttrack authority legislation as it developed during the 107th Congress. There were four major stages in the development of TPA legislation during the 107 Congress. First, after extensive debate on labor and the environment as trade negotiating objectives, the House passed a TPA bill (H.R. 3005) by a single vote (215-214) on December 6, 2001. Second, the Senate wrapped TPA into a comprehensive trade bill (H.R. 3009), with debate concentrated on health care subsidies under the trade adjustment assistance title of the bill, and approved the trade bill by a 66-30 vote on May 23, 2002. Third, the House considered a rule (H.Res. 450) that included broad trade language to match the scope of the Senateapproved bill. There was partisan disagreement on using the rule as a means to approve broad trade programs, and the House approved the rule on June 26, 2002, by another one-vote margin (216-215). Fourth, after some delays, conferees filed a report on trade bill H.R. 3009 on July 26, 2002. The House and Senate approved the conference report by votes of 215-212 and 64-34 respectively just before the summer recess. The President signed the bill into law (P.L. 107-210) on August 6, 2002. The TPA provisions in P.L. 107-210 cover tariff and nontariff agreements entered into before June 1, 2005 (possible 2-year extension). For expedited procedures to apply to legislation to implement a trade agreement, the agreement must “make progressâ€ŗ toward meeting the outlined negotiating objectives and satisfy other specified conditions. Any changes to trade remedy laws are subject to greater congressional scrutiny. The President must consult with congressional bodies, including the newly established Congressional Oversight Group. Congress can withdraw expedited procedures, if consultation requirements are not met. This report will not be updated.

Book Fast Track

    Book Details:
  • Author : Hal S. Shapiro
  • Publisher : BRILL
  • Release : 2023-09-14
  • ISBN : 9004509445
  • Pages : 310 pages

Download or read book Fast Track written by Hal S. Shapiro and published by BRILL. This book was released on 2023-09-14 with total page 310 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Fast Track is the story of the rise and fall of U.S. leadership in international trade. Fast Track authority is the process Congress devised to approve trade agreements, giving Congress input into negotiations in exchange for a timely up-or-down vote. Foes derided it as a procedural gimmick, but it helped forge a bipartisan consensus on trade policy. Despite its successes, it was also fragile. The bipartisan consensus has since frayed and Fast Track has lapsed, allowing other countries to fill the void. This book discusses how Fast Track worked and offers a path for rebuilding consensus in favor of its renewal.

Book Crs Report for Congress

    Book Details:
  • Author : Congressional Research Service: The Libr
  • Publisher : BiblioGov
  • Release : 2013-11
  • ISBN : 9781293253427
  • Pages : 22 pages

Download or read book Crs Report for Congress written by Congressional Research Service: The Libr and published by BiblioGov. This book was released on 2013-11 with total page 22 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: One of the major trade issues in the 107th Congress is whether or not Congress approves trade promotion authority (formerly called fast-track authority) for the President to negotiate trade agreements with expedited procedures for implementing legislation. Under this authority, Congress agrees to consider legislation to implement the trade agreements (usually nontariff trade agreements) under a procedure with mandatory deadlines, no amendment, and limited debate. The President is required to consult with congressional committees during negotiation and notify Congress before entering into an agreement. The President was granted this authority almost continuously from 1974 to 1994, but the authority lapsed and has not been renewed. A major issue has been the role of labor and the environment as objectives in trade agreements. Differences have been largely along party lines. On December 6, the House passed TPA bill H.R. 3005 along party lines by a vote of 215-214. The bill covers tariff and nontariff agreements entered into by June 1, 2005. For expedited procedures to apply to legislation to implement a trade agreement, the agreement would have to "make progress" toward meeting the outlined negotiating objectives and satisfy other specified conditions. The President would have to consult with congressional bodies, including the ...

Book Implementing Bills for Trade Agreements

    Book Details:
  • Author : Richard S. Beth
  • Publisher : Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
  • Release : 2016-09-05
  • ISBN : 9781537500683
  • Pages : 38 pages

Download or read book Implementing Bills for Trade Agreements written by Richard S. Beth and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2016-09-05 with total page 38 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities and Accountability Act of 2015 (BCTPAA, title II of P.L. 114-26) renewed the "trade promotion authority" (TPA) under which implementing bills for trade agreements that address non-tariff barriers to trade (and certain levels of tariff reduction) are eligible for expedited (or "fast track") consideration by Congress under the "trade authorities procedures" established by the Trade Act of 1974 (P.L. 93-618). These expedited procedures provide for automatic introduction of the implementing bill submitted by the President, attempt to ensure that both chambers will consider and vote on it, prohibit amendment, and eliminate any need to resolve bicameral differences before sending the measure to the President. (In practice, each chamber has usually agreed to consider each implementing bill under terms that modify or override the statutory requirements, but that usually retain the prohibition on amendment.) These arrangements have been viewed as assuring negotiating partners that the United States will implement a trade agreement in the form negotiated; they also ensure that Congress will be able to conclude action within a delimited period of time. For these reasons, however, they also have often been seen as restricting Congress to approving or disapproving the terms of a trade agreement in the form negotiated by the President. The BCTPAA, however, also mitigates these restrictions in several ways. First, it establishes numerous requirements that a trade agreement must meet in order for the implementing bill to be eligible for expedited consideration. Second, the BCTPAA provides several means by which Congress can deny expedited consideration for a specific trade agreement and either decline to consider it or consider it under terms that would permit amendment and eliminate debate limits. Finally, the BCTPAA provides that any of the resolutions through which Congress can deny expedited consideration becomes available for floor consideration in either chamber only through action by the respective revenue committee.

Book Crs Report for Congress

    Book Details:
  • Author : Congressional Research Service: The Libr
  • Publisher : BiblioGov
  • Release : 2013-11
  • ISBN : 9781294244202
  • Pages : 22 pages

Download or read book Crs Report for Congress written by Congressional Research Service: The Libr and published by BiblioGov. This book was released on 2013-11 with total page 22 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: One of the major trade issues in the 107th Congress is whether or not Congress approves trade promotion authority (formerly called fast-track authority) for the President to negotiate trade agreements with expedited procedures for implementing legislation. Under this authority, Congress agrees to consider legislation to implement the trade agreements (usually nontariff trade agreements) under a procedure with mandatory deadlines, no amendment, and limited debate. The President is required to consult with congressional committees during negotiation and notify Congress before entering into an agreement. The President was granted this authority almost continuously from 1974 to 1994, but the authority lapsed and has not been renewed. A major issue has been the role of labor and the environment as objectives in trade agreements. Differences have been largely along party lines. On December 6, the House passed TPA bill H.R. 3005 along party lines by a vote of 215-214. The bill covers tariff and nontariff agreements entered into by June 1, 2005. For expedited procedures to apply to legislation to implement a trade agreement, the agreement would have to "make progress" toward meeting the outlined negotiating objectives and satisfy other specified conditions. The President would have to consult with congressional bodies, including the ...

Book Crs Report for Congress

    Book Details:
  • Author : M. Angeles Villarreal
  • Publisher : BiblioGov
  • Release : 2013-11
  • ISBN : 9781293274262
  • Pages : 38 pages

Download or read book Crs Report for Congress written by M. Angeles Villarreal and published by BiblioGov. This book was released on 2013-11 with total page 38 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) entered into force on January 1, 1994. The agreement was signed by President George H.W. Bush on December 17, 1992, and approved by Congress on November 20, 1993. The NAFTA Implementation Act was signed into law by President William J. Clinton on December 8, 1993 (P.L. 103-182). The overall economic impact of NAFTA is difficult to measure since trade and investment trends are influenced by numerous other economic variables, such as economic growth, inflation, and currency fluctuations. The agreement may have accelerated the trade liberalization that was already taking place, but many of these changes may have taken place with or without an agreement. Nevertheless, NAFTA is significant because it was the most comprehensive free trade agreement (FTA) negotiated at the time and contained several groundbreaking provisions. A legacy of the agreement is that it has served as a template or model for the new generation of FTAs that the United States later negotiated and it also served as a template for certain provisions in multilateral trade negotiations as part of the Uruguay Round. The 113th Congress faces numerous issues related to international trade. Canada and Mexico are the first and third largest U.S. trading partners, respectively. With the two countries participating in the negotiations to conclude a Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) free trade agreement among the United States and 10 other countries, policy issues related to NAFTA continue to be of interest for Congress. If negotiations progress, a TPP agreement could affect the rules and market access commitments governing North American trade and investment since NAFTA entered into force. A related trade policy issue in which the effects of NAFTA may be explored is the possible renewal of Trade Promotion Authority (TPA; formerly known as "fast-track authority") to provide expedited procedures for the consideration of bills to implement trade agreements.

Book Trade Promotion Authority

Download or read book Trade Promotion Authority written by United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Finance and published by . This book was released on 2001 with total page 202 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: