Help Bush Push Trade

When the World Trade Organization last met, in 1999 in Seattle, opponents rioted outside and participants argued bitterly inside. Today, a WTO meeting of top-level trade officials from more than 100 countries begins in Doha, Qatar, with the chance for rancor still great.

The House of Representatives unfortunately appears to be on a path to weaken the U.S. position at such talks by failing to grant President Bush fast-track authority on trade. That power would allow him to negotiate trade deals and present them to Congress for a yes-or-no vote.

The all-or-nothing approach keeps legislators from amending deals. If the president lacks that power, industries with powerful lobbyists can add a wrinkle here and a tweak there that can result in a bill unacceptable to whatever nation is across the negotiating table--costing the United States not just trade partners but smooth foreign relations.

A bill allowing fast track, or, as it is now formally called, trade promotion authority, has been awaiting a House vote for weeks. Proponents say passage by even one chamber of Congress would demonstrate that the United States is serious about expanding trade. But a vote keeps getting pushed back, in part because of legislation on economic stimulus, airport security and other matters stemming from the Sept. 11 attacks.

Discussions between rich and poor nations are likely to be heated at Qatar, with the latter blasting the U.S. for what they see as protectionism for some U.S. industries. Congress needs to help ease that friction.

Every president has had the expanded trade authority since 1974, but after the provision expired in 1994, President Clinton’s effort to renew it was at best halfhearted--a cavalier approach cheered by labor unions and environmental groups.

Recently, Rep. William M. Thomas (R-Bakersfield), chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, worked with several pro-trade, centrist Democrats to draft a measure that answers worries that trading partners might ignore labor and environmental concerns. The bill would give the president fast-track authority until June 2005, with a possible two-year extension at the discretion of Congress. The administration would have to consult often with Congress and establish a congressional oversight panel to monitor trade negotiations.

Such provisions make the bill entirely sensible. It’s time for Congress to pass it. The Sept. 11 attacks have made weakened economies worldwide even shakier. Increasing trade is one good way to stop the quaking.