The House Ways and Means Committee voted 24-14 to approve legislation to expand the president’s ability to negotiate trade agreements.
The action sends the bill to the House floor, where it faces an uncertain future. Though the bill has the support of President Clinton and many Republicans, only four of 16 Democrats on the committee voted for it Wednesday. Congressional leaders have said unless there is more Democratic support, the House won’t pass the bill.
Fast-track trade authority allows the president to negotiate trade agreements that must be approved or rejected by Congress without changes. It was first granted in 1974 and renewed several times before it expired in 1994.
The bill is a compromise worked out by Chairman Bill Archer (R-Texas) and White House aides.
The compromise would allow the U.S. to link trade deals to another country’s labor and environmental standards, but only if they are “directly related” to the underlying trade agreement.
Most congressional Democrats oppose renewing fast-track authority without provisions allowing the U.S. to insist that trading partners meet labor and environmental protection standards.
