June 26,2001

Grassley Comment on the Murkowski-Graham Trade Bill

M E M O R A N D U M

TO: Reporters and Editors
FR: Jill Gerber, 202/224-6522
RE: introduction of trade legislation
DA: Tuesday, June 26, 2001

Today Sens. Frank Murkowski and Bob Graham announced the introduction of legislation
to grant Trade Promotion Authority to the President. Sen. Chuck Grassley, ranking member of the
Committee on Finance, made the following comment on this development.

“This is a great development. The legislation put forth today is the first bipartisan Trade
Promotion Authority bill in the Senate. It’s also the most comprehensive. This is a good bill that
gives the President the flexibility he needs to negotiate strong trade agreements on behalf of the
American people. It requires substantial consultation with Congress, and it addresses labor and
environmental issues in a thoughtful way. In the process of working toward Trade Promotion
Authority, it’s important to get legislative language on the table. A lot of members support the
concept, but they want details. Here’s a detailed proposal that I hope members will support. The
political will to approve Trade Promotion Authority is growing. This legislation gives us a way to
act on that will.”