H-2707.1                  _______________________________________________

                                             HOUSE JOINT MEMORIAL 4025

                              _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              53rd Legislature                             1993 Regular Session

By Representatives Wineberry, Conway, Thibaudeau, Leonard, Patterson, Romero, King, Karahalios, Eide, Brown, Linville, Flemming, Jones, G. Cole, Shin, Hansen, Dunshee, Chappell, Veloria, Anderson, H. Myers, Jacobsen, Orr, Ogden, Ludwig, Johanson, Springer, Dellwo, Campbell, J. Kohl, Pruitt and Appelwick

Read first time 5-5-93. 

Concerning the North American Free Trade Agreement.

          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 and the North American Free Trade Agreement; and

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

          WHEREAS, Mexico and less industrialized countries, that comprise over half the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade negotiating nations, have significantly different standards of living than the United States, often having three dollar per day wages 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 waters, and little sanitation or adequate sewer systems; and

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

          WHEREAS, Agriculture and industry in the United States and Washington state are competitive in the world economy on a fair and level playing field but the current General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade and North American Free Trade Agreement proposals move us in the wrong direction; and

          WHEREAS, Current procedures strip the United States Congress of authority to amend or modify final General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade and North American Free Trade Agreement 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 the existing United States standard of living, the labor, health, safety, or environmental laws, regulations, and other standards; and the workplace and civil protection of all United States citizens; 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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