Posted on: Wednesday, August 1, 2001

Editorial
President needs 'fast-track' power

Presidents of both parties in recent years have agreed completely on their need for "fast-track" trade authority. Congress must give this needed negotiating tool to President Bush as quickly as it can bring itself to suppress its partisan bickering.

Bush, like Clinton before him, is seeking the power to negotiate free trade agreements that cannot be amended by the Senate. Once such trade pacts have been concluded with another country, the Senate's only role would be to approve them or reject them.

That's crucial, because what happens now is that no country will negotiate seriously with American trade representatives knowing that their agreement may be completely undone by senators.

Senators have, of course, legitimate concerns on the subject of free trade. They see constituents' jobs being exported to lower-paying countries. But they also see, or they should see, the huge success of the American economy, partly driven by replacement of the 20th-century jobs lost with better-paying 21st-century jobs.

When Clinton was stripped of his "fast-track" authority, it was by Senate Republicans bent on punishing him (never mind its lack of relevance) for his liaison with Monica Lewinsky. Now it's Republicans who are trying to win the authority back for Bush who are blaming Democrats for playing politics.

No matter who's president, "fast-track" is a must. Senators now appear resigned to put the question off until autumn for lack of votes. The responsible thing to do is to grant these powers as Bush asked for them — that is, "pretty darned quickly."