Trade Reform, Accountability, Development, and Employment Act of 2008

A bill to require a review of existing trade agreements and renegotiation of existing trade agreements based on the review, to set terms for future trade agreements, to express the sense of the Senate that the role of Congress in trade policymaking should be strengthened, and for other purposes.

6/4/2008--Introduced.
Trade Reform, Accountability, Development, and Employment Act of 2008, or the TRADE Act of 2008 - Directs the Comptroller General of the United States to:
(1) review certain free trade agreements (including Uruguay Round Agreements) between the United States and foreign countries; and
(2) report to the Congressional Trade Agreement Review Committee regarding such agreements, including analyses of specified subjects and of each agreement, as well as whether the country has a democratic form of government that respects certain core labor rights and fundamental human rights, protects intellectual property rights, and enforces environmental laws.
Declares that implementing bills of new trade agreements shall be subject to a point of order in the Senate unless such agreements include certain standards with respect to:
(1) labor;
(2) environment and public safety;
(3) food and product health and safety;
(4) provision of services;
(5) investment;
(6) procurement;
(7) intellectual property;
(8) agriculture;
(9) trade remedies and safeguards;
(10) rules of origin;
(11) dispute resolution and enforcement;
(12) technical assistance; and
(13) national security.
Requires the President to submit to Congress a plan to bring existing trade agreements into compliance with such standards.
Establishes a Congressional Trade Agreement Review Committee.
Expresses the sense of Congress that a certain process for U.S. trade negotiations should be followed when Congress considers legislation providing special procedures for implementing bills of trade agreements.


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Sponsor

• Sen. Sherrod Brown [D, OH]
• and 6 Co-Sponsors
  • Sen. Robert Byrd [D, WV]
  • Sen. Robert Casey [D, PA]
  • Sen. Byron Dorgan [D, ND]
  • Sen. Russell Feingold [D, WI]
  • Sen. Bernard Sanders [I, VT]
  • Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse [D, RI]
  close

Committees

• Senate Finance

Amendments

This bill has no amendments.

Amendments to S.3083

Number	Status	Purpose

Bill Status

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Introduced		Voted on by Senate		Voted on by House		Considered By President		Bill Becomes Law
June 04, 2008

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All Bill Actions

• Jun 04, 2008: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
• Jun 04, 2008: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S5043-5044)
• Introduced on Jun 04, 2008.

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Related Bills:

• H.R.6180

Related Issue Areas:

• Trade negotiations
• Trade agreements
• Standards
• Senate rules and procedure
• 37 more
• Public contracts
• Product safety
• Presidents
• President and foreign policy
• Politics and government
• Nontariff trade barriers
• National security
• Legislation
• Labor
• International affairs
• Intellectual property
• Imports
• Human rights
• Government procurement
• Free trade
• Foreign policy
• Foreign investments
• Food safety
• Environmental protection
• Environmental law enforcement
• Employee rights
• Dispute settlement
• Democracy
• Defense policy
• Consumers
• Congressional reporting requirements
• Congressional reorganization
• Congressional joint committees
• Congressional investigations
• Congress and foreign policy
• Congress
• Civil liberties
• Armed forces
• American investments
• Agriculture in foreign trade
• Agriculture
• Trade

Data from the Congressional Research Service

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Blog Coverage

September 14, 2008 Rep. Doyle Thanked for Stand on Fair TRADE

... Western Pennsylvania Congressman to co-sponsor the TRADE act. In the Senate a similar TRADE bill, S. 3083, was inctroduced by Senator Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and we are pleased thank Sen. Bob Casey for his co-sponsorship of this bill.

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Source: Sierra Club Allegheny Group

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September 02, 2008 New Merkley Ad Takes Aim at Unfair Trade Deals

[Senate vote #345, 11/2/99; Senate vote #347, 11/2/99] * Smith has refused to support efforts to reform trade agreements to ensure enforceable labor and environmental standards. [S. 3083] ...

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Source: Jeff Merkley for Senate

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July 23, 2008 Oregonians Support the TRADE Act

The Trade Reform, Accountability, Development and Employment (TRADE) Act (HR.6180/S.3083) shifts the trade debate in favor of new rules for globalization that will ensure economic security and solid jobs for American workers, ...

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Source: All Petitions - Care2: thepetitionsite

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