Trade-Skeptic Dems Put Our Economy at Risk, Says IPI

DALLAS, June 6 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- According to a news report from
National Journal, congressional Democrats, "claiming an election-year
mandate," have introduced labor-backed legislation to "call a time-out on free
trade agreements."
This news item is merely one in a series of examples showing that the
belief that trade between nations benefits both parties is under continued
assault. Trade is integral to economic growth -- limiting trade hurts both
developing and developed nations.
"This isn't about free trade, this is only about protecting union jobs
against competition," said Dr. Merrill Matthews, Resident Scholar at the
Institute for Policy Innovation (IPI).
"If the Democrats think there was a referendum that centered on free
trade, the rest of us must have missed it," said Matthews. "There has been no
referendum and very little discussion of where the country wants to go with
free trade in a global economy."
However, most of the Democrats backing this new legislation don't call
themselves protectionists; they say they want "fair trade," or some other
nuanced distinction without a difference.
According to reports, the new bill would require existing trade agreements
to be reviewed against safety, labor and environmental standards, and if found
to be lacking, the agreements would be forced into renegotiations by the
president before any new trade deals could be considered.
"If Democrats really want to reinvigorate a multilateral role for the U.S.
role in international relations, the last thing you want to do is unilaterally
assert that we're going to renegotiate agreements," said IPI president Tom
Giovanetti. "That's acting like a boss, not a partner. Trade barriers and tax
increases are precisely the two policy mistakes that gave us the Great
Depression," said Giovanetti. "It's troubling to see today's Democrats
apparently heading in that same dangerous direction."
There is no place for protectionism in a global economy, and - like it or
not - a global economy is what we have.
The Institute for Policy Innovation is an independent, non-profit public
policy organization based in Dallas, Texas. Experts are available for
interview by contacting Erin Humiston at (972) 874-5139, or erin@ipi.org.
SOURCE Institute for Policy Innovation

Erin Humiston of IPI, +1-972-874-5139, erin@ipi.org