*EPF206 02/06/01
Senate Approves Zoellick as U.S. Trade Representative, 98-0
(Divisions over labor, environment appear in debate) (480)
By Bruce Odessey
Washington File Staff Writer

Washington -- The Senate has confirmed by 98-0 President Bush's nomination of Robert Zoellick to be U.S. trade representative.

A former under secretary of state, Zoellick was the last of Bush's Cabinet-level appointments to win confirmation.

After his February 6 confirmation Zoellick faces a number of simmering issues including: fast-track trade negotiating authority from Congress, bilateral disputes with the European Union (EU), trade agreements with Jordan and Vietnam, looming negotiations with Chile and Singapore, and confidence in the World Trade Organization (WTO).

He must turn his attention promptly to Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) negotiations, the likely highlight of an April Summit of the Americas meeting in Quebec of Western Hemisphere leaders. The FTAA has a goal to establish free trade in all products, including agriculture, throughout the Western Hemisphere, except Cuba, by 2005.

And he faces a nearly immediate task of resolving the most-recent iteration of the decades-long U.S. dispute with Canada over British Columbia provincial subsidies to softwood lumber; the existing agreement expires March 31.

As during Zoellick's confirmation hearing, senators were divided over whether to include labor and environment goals in any fast track legislation. Under fast track, Congress restricts itself only to approve or reject a negotiated trade agreement, within strict time limits and without amendments. The previous grant of fast track expired early in 1994. Since then attempts to reauthorize fast track have failed over labor and environmental issues.

During Senate debate Senator Max Baucus, a Democratic leader on trade issues, challenged Zoellick to submit quickly to Congress for implementation the Jordan free trade agreement, negotiated by the Clinton administration with some labor and environment provisions.

He also challenged Zoellick to implement President Clinton's executive order requiring environmental assessment of all trade agreements and to appoint an assistant U.S. trade representative for labor.

"By taking these three steps Mr. Zoellick and the Bush administration could demonstrate that the commitment to work together in a bipartisan fashion is real and not just rhetoric," Baucus said. "And it would help set the stage for granting fast track trade negotiating authority."

Senator Charles Grassley, Republican chairman of the Finance Committee, did not mention labor and environment issues directly but did describe the struggle ahead over fast track as difficult.

"So I have great confidence in Mr. Zoellick's ability to work with Congress to get a bill renewing the President's trade negotiating authority through Congress this year," Grassley said.

"And what we need to do is do that -- at least start that process, even though it's a very difficult process -- real soon," Grassley said.

(The Washington File is a product of the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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