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WASHIN.GTON,DC20510
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STATEMENTFORTHERECORD
"\e
U.S.SenatorRonWyden
,
OnIntp.oductionofthe«CongressionalOversightOverTradeNegotiationsAct"
M.President,rightnow,theObamaAdministrationis
in
theprocessofnegotiatingwhatmightprovetobethemostfar-reachingeconomicagreementsincetheWorldTradeOrganizationwasestablishednearlytwentyyearsago.Thegoalofthisagreement-knownastheTransPacificPartnership(TPP)-istoeconomicallybindtogethertheeconomiesoftheAsiaPacific.
It
involvescountriesrangingfromAustralia,Singapore,Vietnam,Peru,ChileandtheUnitedStatesandholdsthepotentialtoincludemanymorecountries,likeJapan,Korea,Canada,andMexico..
If
successful,theagreementwillsetnormsforthetradeofgoodsandservicesandincludesdisciplinesrelatedtointellectualproperty,accesstomedicines,Internetgovernance,investment,governmentprocurement,workerrightsandenvironmentalstandards.
If
agreedto,TPPwillsetthetoneforournation'seconomicfutureforyearstocome,impactingthewayCongressintervenesandactsonbehalfoftheAmericanpeopleitrepresents.
It
maybethe
u.s.
TradeRepresentative's(USTR)currentjobtonegotiatetradeagreementsonbehalfoftheUnitedStates,butArticle
1
Section8oftheU.S.ConstitutiongivesCongress-nottheUSTRoranyothermemberoftheExecutiveBranch-theresponsibilityofregulatingforeigncommerce.Itwas
OUT
FoundingFathers'intentiontoensurethatthelawsandpoliciesthatgoverntheAmericanpeopletakeintoaccounttheinterestsofalltheAmericanpeople,notjustaprivilegedfew.Andyet,Mr.President,themajorityofCongressisbeingkeptinthedarkastothesubstanceoftheTPPnegotiations,whilerepresentativesofU.S.corporations-likeHalliburton,Chevron,PI-IRMA,Corncast,andtheMotionPictureAssociationofAmerica-arebeingconsultedandmadeprivytodetailsoftheagreement.
As
theOfficeoftheUSTR
will
tellyou,thePresidentgivesitbroadpowertokeepinformationaboutthetradepolicies
it
advancesandnegotiates,secret.Letmetellyou,theUSTR
is
making
fun
useofthisauthority.
As
theChairmanoftheSenateFinanceCommittee'sSubcommitteeonInternationalTrade,Customs,andGlobalCompetitiveness,myofficeisresponsibleforconductingoversightovertheUSTRandtradenegotiations.Todothat,IaskedthatmystaffobtainthepropersecuritycredentialstoviewtheinformationthatUSTRkeepsconfidentialandsecret.ThisismaterialthatfullydescribeswhattheUSTRisseeking
in
theTPPtalksonbehalfoftheAmericanpeopleandonbehalfofCongress.Morethantwomonthsafterreceivingthepropersecuritycredentials,mystaffisstillbarredfromviewingthedetailsoftheproposalsthatUSTRisadvancing.
 
M.President,wehearthattheprocessbywhichTPPisbeingnegotiatedhasbeenamodeloftransparency.Idisagreewiththatstatement.AndnotjustbecausetheStaffDirectoroftheSenatesubcommitteeresponsibleforoversightofinternationaltradecontinuestobedeniedaccesstosubstantiveanddetailedinformationthatpertainstotheTPPtalks,M.President,Congresspassedlegislation
in
2002
toformtheCongressionalOversightGroup,orCOG,tofostermoreUSTRconsultation
with
Congress.Iwasasenatorin
2002.
IvotedforthatlawandIcantellyoutheintentionofthatlawwastoensurethatUSTRconsulted
with
moreMembersofCongressnotless.
In
tryingtogettothebottomofwhymystaff
is
beingdeniedinformation,
it
seemsthatsomeintheExecutiveBranchmaybeinterpretingthelawthatestablishedtheCOGtomeanthatonlythefewMembersofCongresswhobelongtotheCOGcanbegivenaccesstotradenegotiationinformation,whileeveryotherMemberofCongress,andtheirstaff,mustbedeniedsuchaccess.So,thisisnotjustaquestionofwhetherornotclearedstaffshouldhaveaccesstoinformationabouttheTPPtalks,thisisaquestionofwhetherornottheadministrationbelievesthatmostMembersofCongresscanorshouldhaveasayintradenegotiations.Again,havingvotedforthatlaw,1stronglydisagree
with
suchaninterpretationandfinditoffensivethatsomewouldsuggestthatalawmeanttofostermoreconsultationwithCongressisintendedtolimit
it.
ButgiventhattheTPPnegotiationsarecurrentlyunderwayandI-andthevastmajorityofmycolleaguesandtheirstaff-continuetobedeniedafullunderstanding
of
whattheUSTRisseekingintheagreement,wedonothavetimetowasteonaprotractedlegalbattleoverthisissue.Therefore,IamintroducinglegislationtoclarifytheintentoftheCOGstatute.Thelegislation,Ipropose,isstraightforward.ItgivesallMembersofCongressandstaff
with
appropriateclearanceaccesstothesubstanceoftradenegotiations.Finally,MembersofCongresswhoareresponsibleforconductingoversightovertheenforcementoftradeagreements
will
beprovidedinformationbytheExecutiveBranchindicatingwhetherourtradingpartnersarelivingupto'theirtradeobligations.Putsimply,
this
legislationwouldensurethattherepresentativese1ectedbytheAmericanpeopleareaffordedthesamelevelofinfluenceoverournation'spoliciesasthepaidrepresentativesofPHRMA,HalliburtonandtheMotionPictureAssociation.MyintentistodoeverythingIcantoseethatthislegislationisadvancedquicldyandbecomeslaw,sothatelectedMembersofCongresscandowhattheConstitutionrequiresandwhattheirconstituentsexpect.Iyieldthefloor.
 
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Torequirethe"CnitcdStates'I'radeRepresentative
to
nrovidcdocuru>ntsrelatingtotrade
negotiations
to:\'lrmhers
or
C\l!lgrcss
and
theirstaffuponrequest,ant!forotherpurposes.
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Torequirethe
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States
TradeRcpresentativtoprovidedocumentsrelatingtotradenegotiationstoMembersof
;ougTCSS
andtheirstaffuponrequest,andforotherpurposes.
1
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