WASHINGTON – Today, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), former chairman and current senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, joined a bipartisan group of his colleagues in calling on the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) to dramatically improve transparency and consultation with Congress on pending trade negotiations.
 
The senators, including Finance Committee Ranking Member Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Chairman Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and committee members Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Ben Sasse (R-Neb.), cited negotiations to waive intellectual property rules at the World Trade Organization (WTO) – where details became public before Congress was briefed or shown the text of the agreement – as a recent example of the executive branch failing to adequately consult with Congress.
 
“We want to ensure that this failure to consult properly with Congress will not be replicated in other areas, particularly as the Administration seeks to launch new trade negotiations under the auspices of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, pursue multilateral and plurilateral negotiations at the WTO, and engage in bilateral discussions with countries such as the United Kingdom,” the senators wrote.
 
“As such, we believe that the Administration must follow both the letter and the spirit of the Transparency Principles and Guidelines and consult fully with Members,” the senators continued. “The mere fact that changes to U.S. law may not be required to implement a final agreement or that ideas are being exchanged in a ‘white paper’ does not excuse USTR from fulfilling its obligation to consult – in detail, including by sharing any and all text and specific proposals – in a timely fashion, throughout a negotiation.”
 
Congress has primary authority to regulate tariffs and commerce with foreign nations under Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution. It delegates authority to the executive branch, with the requirement that it be consulted about trade policies.
 
Grassley has frequently raised concerns about operations at the USTR. Last August, he called on President Biden to immediately appoint qualified individuals to the position of Chief Agricultural Negotiator at the USTR. He has also urged the Biden administration to begin tackling trade challenges and to seek new trade agreements in the Indo-Pacific region.
 
Read the full letter HERE.
 

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