E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 106 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION Vol. 145 WASHINGTON, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 1999 No. 157 House of Representatives The House met at 10 a.m. N O T I C E If the 106th Congress, 1st Session, adjourns sine die on or before November 10, 1999, a final issue of the Congressional Record for the 106th Congress, 1st Session, will be published on November 30, 1999, in order to permit Members to revise and extend their remarks. All material for insertion must be signed by the Member and delivered to the respective offices of the Official Reporters of Debates (Room HT±60 or S±123 of the Capitol), Monday through Friday, between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. through November 29. The final issue will be dated November 30, 1999, and will be delivered on Wednesday, December 1, 1999. 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DiMARIO, Public Printer. b This symbol represents the time of day during the House proceedings, e.g., b 1407 is 2:07 p.m. Matter set in this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor. H11707 . VerDate 29-OCT-99 01:08 Nov 10, 1999 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 8633 E:\CR\FM\A09NO7.000 pfrm02 PsN: H09PT1 H11708 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD Ð HOUSE November 9, 1999 MORNING HOUR DEBATES tribunal in Geneva to overturn the U.S. Mr. Speaker, just look at this blowup The SPEAKER. Pursuant to the law. Companies that profit from prod- of this price list taken from this order of the House of January 19, 1999, ucts made from child labor would be chilling magazine article from someone the Chair will now recognize Members expected to lobby countries to bring in this awful business. A liver, $150, but from lists submitted by the majority such a case. It is possible that compa- it can be gotten for $125 if it is from a and minority leaders for morning hour nies would be able to bring such a case younger baby, or one can get a 30 per- debates. The Chair will alternate rec- themselves, without persuading a coun- cent discount if it is significantly frag- ognition between the parties, with each try government to do so, if the WTO is mented; a spleen, $75; pancreas, $100; a party limited to not to exceed 25 min- expanded some more. If a WTO panel of thymus, $100. Look at this, a brain, $999. Notice utes, and each Member except the ma- trade bureaucrats ruled that any child labor ban violated the WTO, the U.S. they even use marketing techniques in jority leader, the minority leader or would have to repeal the law or pay this gruesome business, selling it for $1 the minority whip limited to not to ex- damages. less than a thousand dollars to make ceed 5 minutes, but in no event shall According to the Congressional Re- it, I guess, a more attractive purchase. debate continue beyond 9:50 a.m. search Service, that is just what the Again, if it is fragmented, what a ter- The Chair recognizes the gentleman WTO tribunal would rule. rible way to describe a baby's injured from Ohio (Mr. KUCINICH) for 4 minutes. So when the World Trade agreement brain from abortion, one can get a 30 f was negotiated, we gave away the percent discount; almost like step United States' greatest negotiating le- right up, ladies and gentlemen. A WHAT IS THE WTO? verage, access to the U.S. market, to baby's ear, $75; eyes, $75 for a pair, $40 Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, with all improve the rights and living standards for one; skin, $100; the spinal cord, $325. the talk about the meeting of the WTO of workers in the U.S. and around the Mr. Speaker, I wish this price list in Seattle, it is worth answering the world. The U.S. has basically unilater- were a cruel Halloween hoax, but it is question, what is the WTO? The World ally ceded this. not. It is a price list for human body Trade Organization, the Uruguay In the next few weeks, trade min- parts from aborted babies, in America. Round of the GATT, General Agree- isters from many of the world's coun- This is not Nazi, Germany. ment on Tariffs and Trade, is a broad- tries will be meeting in Seattle to dis- Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to ranging set of international trade rules cuss how to expand the WTO. The U.S. support this resolution calling for over- that, number one, imposes obligations is sending many negotiators, but will sight hearings. on foreign countries that are beneficial they be bargaining for what we need? f What we need, what the working people to U.S. multinational companies and, THE WTO NEEDS A MAJOR OVER- in the United States and overseas need, number two, it imposes obligations on HAUL, AND THE UNITED STATES is to renegotiate the WTO before any the Federal and State governments HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO IT that place tight limitations on Con- expansion occurs. We need to place gress and the State legislatures that limitations on the WTO. We need to ex- The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under are beneficial to foreign multinational plicitly enable the United States and the Speaker's announced policy of Jan- companies. other countries to prohibit import of uary 19, 1999, the gentleman from Or- The WTO makes the world the oyster products made with child and forced egon (Mr. DEFAZIO) is recognized dur- ing morning hour debates for 4 min- of large multinational businesses, be- labor. utes. cause the WTO takes away the inabil- We need to be able to use the lever- Mr. DEFAZIO. Mr. Speaker, the gen- ity of national governments to set the age of access to the U.S. market and other markets to guarantee the rights tleman from Ohio (Mr. KUCINICH), who laws of their countries. National gov- preceded me, talked a little bit about ernments, including the United States, of workers to organize into unions and bargain collectively; to be protected by the upcoming meeting of the World lose the ability to pass laws affecting Trade Organization, and I would like to the import of products that are dan- workplace safety and right-to-know standards that are minimally equiva- follow up on that. gerous or that are made where there It was Renato Ruggiero, the former are no worker protections, child labor lent to current U.S. standards; and to benefit from legal minimum wage lev- director general of the World Trade Or- prohibitions, minimum wage standards ganization, who said, and I quote, we or where workers are deprived of the els. We need the WTO to be limited to are writing the Constitution of a new right to organize into unions and bar- improve conditions for workers in the world government, end quote. gain collectively. U.S. and around the world. American Well, they left out a few things when Even if the import of those products workers would benefit. They would they wrote that new constitution. They would put U.S. workers out of work or have less reason to be pressured into left out consumer rights and protec- would endanger consumers or the envi- abandoning efforts to improve wages tions. They left out labor rights. They ronment, the WTO says no. and conditions by employer threats to left out environmental rights and pro- At the current time, there is a WTO move plants and equipment to the tections. panel hearing arguments against Third World. The United States has a tremendous France's ban on asbestos, a proven car- f opportunity, in hosting the beginning cinogen in humans and a substantial of the next round of negotiations at the workplace danger.