On A Fast Track To Where?

Sander Levin, ranking member of the House Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee, discussed his dissatisfaction with the lack of a coherent, bipartisan foundation in current trade policy. In his address delivered at CSIS on May 7, Levin argued that trade policy should structure the rules of trade, in order to maximize benefits while minimizing local costs. He proposed an approach that would include congressional oversight paired with regulatory standards in areas such as health policy, food and safety, and telecommunications, as well as labor standards, environmental standards, conservation, and investment. He said, "It is precisely at this time of great change and great challenge that it is most important for U.S. trade policy to reflect the substantive issues involved and be driven by sound guiding principles rather than short-sighted political expediency."