H-1385.1                  _______________________________________________

                                             HOUSE JOINT MEMORIAL 4012

                              _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              53rd Legislature                             1993 Regular Session

By Representative Wineberry

Read first time 02/10/93.  Referred to Committee on State Government.

Requesting Congress not approve certain international trade agreements.

          TO THE HONORABLE BILL CLINTON, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, AND TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AND TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES, IN CONGRESS ASSEMBLED:

          We, your Memorialists, the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Washington, in legislative session assembled, respectfully represent and petition as follows:

          WHEREAS, The United States is currently involved in efforts to rewrite international trade rules under the auspices of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA); and

          WHEREAS, International trade agreements can provide benefits to the people of the United States and Washington if those agreements are properly structured and then negotiated; and

          WHEREAS, Current proposals severely restrict the role of this body and the United States Congress to protect (1) health and safety standards, (2) environmental and resource management laws, and (3) the rights of workers, immigrants, and peoples of color to organize and to maintain livable wages; and

          WHEREAS, Mexico and less-industrialized countries, which comprise over half the GATT negotiating nations, have significantly different standards of living than the United States, often having wages of three dollars per day or less, limited educational opportunities, unprotected child labor, no worker rights, reckless use of pesticides and chemicals long since outlawed in the United States, highly toxic substances routinely dumped into rivers, undrinkable water, and little sanitation or adequate sewer systems; and

          WHEREAS, These discrepancies lead to dramatic differences in the cost of doing business and leave the United States at a competitive disadvantage; and

          WHEREAS, These discrepancies can work to weaken worldwide standards of health, and environmental and worker protection; and

          WHEREAS, Agriculture and industry in the United States and Washington are competitive in the world economy on a fair and level playing field but the current GATT and NAFTA proposals move us in the wrong direction; and

          WHEREAS, Current procedures strip the United States Congress of authority to amend or modify final GATT and NAFTA agreements, leaving Congress with only a "yes" or "no" fast-track vote.

          NOW, THEREFORE, Your Memorialists respectfully pray that the congressional delegation of the state of Washington and all members of Congress inform the President and the Office of the United States Trade Representative that they will not approve any legislation to implement a trade agreement that (1) jeopardizes or modifies, except to raise, the existing United States standard of living; the labor, health, safety, or environmental laws, rules, and other standards; and the workplace and civil protections of all peoples in the United States; or (2) limits the ability of Congress or local and state governments to adopt laws to protect the health and safety of their people, their working conditions, domestic food supplies, and the environment.

          BE IT RESOLVED, That copies of this Memorial be immediately transmitted to the Honorable Bill Clinton, President of the United States, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and each member of Congress from the State of Washington.

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