Today, the House passed the conference report for the customs enforcement bill, the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015.
Here are the parts of the bill that, at least on the surface, sound okay:
The Conference Report facilitates trade by strengthening trade enforcement, including provisions to guard against evasion of anti-dumping and countervailing duty laws, protect intellectual property against piracy, and target sources of unfair trade and provisions streamlining the flow of legitimate trade by modernizing Customs operations and reducing paperwork. Also, it closes a loophole in current law that allows the importation of products made using child or forced labor.
But this being Congress—and a Republican-held one at that—there are many horrible provisions in it.
It prevents the US from using trade negotiations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions:
The Conference Report contains a modified version of the House language barring the inclusion of climate change provisions in fast track trade deals. While the language is improved, it still would single out greenhouse gas emission provisions as being ineligible for inclusion in a trade deal, raising concerns about its impact on efforts to protect the environment in trade deals as called for in the May 10, 2007, Agreement setting out Democratic priorities for trade negotiations.
It has weak currency manipulation language:
The Conference Report adopted House language regarding currency manipulation instead of the Senate currency provisions that would make currency undervaluation an illegal subsidy subject to countervailing duty laws. The House language would direct the Secretary of the Treasury to address currency manipulation through “enhanced bilateral engagement.”
It effectively turns a blind eye to human trafficking:
In addressing the issue of human trafficking, the Conference Report modifies Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) language excluding countries from being eligible for TPA “fast track” procedures if they are cited in the State Department Human Trafficking report as Tier 3 countries. The Conference Report language allows such countries to be eligible under TPA, so long as the President certifies that they are taking “concrete steps” to improve.
The bill passed 256 to 158.
232 Republicans and 24 Democrats voted for it. 155 Democrats and 3 Republicans voted against it.
The 3 Republicans were Justin Amash (MI-03), Walter Jones (NC-03), and Chris Smith (NJ-04).
Here are the 24 Democrats:
Brad Ashford (NE-02)
Ami Bera (CA-07)
Don Beyer (VA-08)
Earl Blumenauer (OR-03)
Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01)
Jim Clyburn (SC-06)
Gerry Connolly (VA-11)
Jim Cooper (TN-05)
Jim Costa (CA-16)
Henry Cuellar (TX-28)
Sam Farr (CA-20)
Ruben Hinojosa (TX-15)
Eddie B. Johnson (TX-30)
Hank Johnson (GA-04)
Ron Kind (WI-03)
Rick Larsen (WA-02)
Dan Lipinski (IL-03)
Gregory Meeks (NY-05)
Scott Peters (CA-52)
Collin Peterson (MN-07)
Kathleen Rice (NY-04)
Terri Sewell (AL-07)
Kyrsten Sinema (AZ-09)
Pete Visclosky (IN-01)
The vote is similar to the vote for fast-track authority back in the summer.
Six Democrats voting for the customs bill, however, had not voted for fast-track:
Jim Clyburn (SC-06)
Hank Johnson (GA-04)
Dan Lipinski (IL-03)
Collin Peterson (MN-07)
Kyrsten Sinema (AZ-09
Pete Visclosky (IN-01)
And nine Democrats who voted for fast-track voted against the customs bill:
Susan Davis (CA-53)
John Delaney (MD-06)
Suzan DelBene (WA-01)
Jim Himes (CT-04)
Derek Kilmer (WA-06)
Beto O’Rourke (TX-16)
Jared Polis (CO-02)
Mike Quigley (IL-05)
Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-23)
Kurt Schrader (OR-05), who had voted for fast-track, was not in attendance.