By Doug Palmer May 10, 2001
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Bush administration on Thursday sketched out its ideas for ending a seven-year stalemate in Congress over new trade negotiating authority, but failed to win over labor and environmental groups.
``We have no time to waste in reasserting America's leadership on trade,'' President Bush (news - web sites) said in a letter to lawmakers. ``We can no longer afford to sit still while our trade partners move ahead without us.''
The administration wants ``trade promotion authority'' to conclude negotiations on the proposed Free Trade Area of the Americas, which would cover 34 countries in the Western Hemisphere, and for a new round of world trade talks.
A split between Republicans and Democrats over whether trade agreements should contain protections for workers and the environment has blocked approval of trade promotion authority since it expired in April 1994.
Under trade promotion authority, previously known as fast track, Congress gives up its right to amend trade agreements negotiated by the executive branch and agrees to vote just ``yes'' or ``no'' on the overall pacts.
In its effort to gain this authority, the White House proposed a ``tool box'' approach for dealing with the labor and environmental issues that have put Congress at an impasse.
Among the package of possible steps were elevating the role of the International Labor Organization in enforcing core labor standards and improving the effectiveness of United Nations (news - web sites) programs to help countries deal with environmental concerns.
In its submission to Congress, the White House said addressing concerns about the effects of trade on workers and the environment was ``an important part'' of its agenda.
But in a nod to business groups, the White House said, ''Those goals must be pursued in a way that respects U.S. sovereignty and avoids self-defeating protectionism.''
Republicans have expressed concern with labor and environmental provisions of a U.S-Jordan Free Trade Agreement negotiated last year by the Clinton administration.
They fear the pact -- which requires both countries to enforce their labor and environmental laws even if economic conditions deteriorate -- could lead to the use of trade sanctions and impinge on U.S. sovereignty.
Dan Seligman, trade policy specialist for the Sierra Club (news - web sites ), said he was disappointed with the administration's ``tool box'' of options for dealing with labor and environmental concerns.
``Frankly, I'm stunned at how weak they are. There's nothing in this tool box that addresses our concern that trade rules are hammering away at environmental protections,'' he said.
The United States' largest labor organization also expressed disappointment with the administration's ideas.
``On the crucial question of whether the U.S. government is going to insist on labor and environmental provisions in future trade agreements, the administration's answer appears to be no,'' said Dave Smith, public policy director for the AFL-CIO:
