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WASHINGTON -- A leading group of House and Senate New Democrats today released principles for granting the president Trade Promotion Authority with appropriate consideration for labor and environmental standards. Trade Promotion Authority enhances the president's ability to negotiate trade agreements.

The group of centrists, lead by Sen. Bob Graham (FL) and Rep. Cal Dooley (CA), reaffirmed their commitment to economic growth through expanded trade opportunities and expanding the bipartisan consensus for trade. A critical component of that effort, the centrists said, was a Trade Promotion Authority bill that includes measures to improve labor and environmental standards internationally. Also expressing their support for the principles released today were Sen. Maria Cantwell (WA), Sen. John Breaux (LA), Sen. Mary Landrieu (LA), Sen. Blanche Lincoln (AR), Rep. Jim Moran (VA) and Rep. Adam Smith (WA).

"Trade is a vital tool for economic development, which is central to improving worker rights and environmental stewardship," Graham said. "The trade policy we embrace recognizes that the two are inextricably linked, just as we are increasingly connected to our trading partners around the globe."

"Trade Promotion Authority must give the president maximum flexibility to use any and all mechanisms to ensure compliance with trade commitments," Dooley said. "The president's plan doesn't address that issue, but our plan offers a way to improve compliance with all of our negotiated commitments, be they in agriculture, intellectual property, labor or the environment. We believe our plan can form the basis for a bipartisan consensus on Trade Promotion Authority."

The New Democrats argued today that Trade Promotion Authority is essential to advancing an aggressive trade agenda, including a Free Trade Area of the Americas, a new round of the World Trade Organization, and additional bilateral and regional trade agreements.

In an effort to craft a Trade Promotion Authority that would win bipartisan approval, Graham, Dooley and others have been consulting over the past few months with key trade leaders and other New Democrats. As past leaders on trade issues, New Democrats are uniquely positioned to craft a compromise approach to including labor and environmental standards in Trade Promotion Authority.

While the New Democrats generally applauded the inclusion of labor and environmental standards in President Bush's international trade agenda, they noted that his plan was silent on the critical issue of appropriate mechanisms for enforcing trade agreements. The New Democrats said today that Trade Promotion Authority should include an "enforcement toolbox" that gives the president "maximum flexibility" and that does not preclude the use of any specific enforcement mechanism to increase compliance with negotiated commitments.

In addition to the enforcement issue, the principles released today declare that labor and environmental goals should have parity as negotiating objectives, and that congressional consultation on the progress of trade talks should be enhanced. The principles also call for a set of "parallel policies" to increase domestic confidence in trade, ranging from improvements to the Trade Adjustment Act to a stronger commitment to improve labor and environmental standards through international organizations.

The New Democrats today criticized the president's trade plan for what they characterized as a hollow commitment to strengthening international organizations' role in improving labor and environmental standards. While the president's plan mentioned the importance of these groups, the Bush Administration's budget cut funding for international labor activities by 50 percent, they noted.

New Democrat Principles for Building Bipartisan Consensus for Trade Promotion Authority

• Increase the Opportunity for the U.S. to Compete Internationally, Expand Access to Foreign Markets for Products and Services Traded Physically and Electronically, and Increase Living Standards at Home and Abroad
  • FTAA
  • Launch New WTO Round
  • Move Forward with Other Bilateral, Regional and Multilateral Agreements
• Labor and Environment Should Have Parity As Negotiating Objectives
• Enhance Congressional Consultation on Progress of Trade Talks in Meeting Negotiating Objectives
• Enforcement Toolbox
  • Do Not Preclude Any Mechanism to Increase Compliance with Negotiated Commitments
  • Timely and Transparent Dispute Resolution
  • Early Identification of Implementation Problems
  • Effective Monitoring and Reporting
• Parallel Policies
  • Improve and Reauthorize Trade Adjustment Assistance
  • Joint ILO/WTO Work Program to Address Labor Issues
  • Capacity Building Through the World Bank and Other International Organizations
  • Develop Implementation Plans for Realizing the Full Potential of Trade Agreements
  • Enhance Trade Preference Programs
  • Pursue Progress on Labor and Environment through Enhanced Participation in International Organizations