Would Kerry, Democrates an EU impose Tariffs on the US??

[Chadder007]

http://www.atr.org/pressreleases/2004/pr-kerry_tariff.htm

John Kerry, Democrats, and the EU Impose Tariffs on the US Economy
Kerry and the Democrats place special interests over American companies and workers

WASHINGTON - Today the Senate Democrats voted in near unison voted to ensure American companies are faced with stiff tariffs from the European Union, thus resulting in fewer jobs and less income growth for working Americans. The Foreign Sales Corporations (FSCs) and the extraterritorial income exclusion (ETI) export subsidies were found to be in violation of World Trade Organization (WTO) agreements. Without changes, the United States is facing $4 billion of sanctions imposed by the European Union and the tariffs went into effect March 1 st . The legislation put forward by Sen. Grassley sought to change the tax code to bring the US into compliance with the WTO which removes the tariffs.

?Sen. Kerry and his Democratic Party sent a real signal to American voters today on their priorities for the American economy,? said taxpayer advocate Grover Norquist ., president of Americans for Tax Reform (ATR). ? For all the talk about jobs and the economy, here was a real chance for the Democrats to stand up for American entrepreneurs and workers and once again they have turned their back. The tariffs will remain in place making American products less competitive. They have absolutely no credibility talking about investing in America from here on in.?

The Senate vote resulted in nine votes short of the needed 60 votes to invoke cloture. Democrats are refusing to vote for the measure without being able to vote for amendments completely unrelated to the provisions needed to bring the U.S. tax code in compliance with the WTO ruling. In fact, Democrats are keeping in place tariffs on American companies to appease their special interests. Sen. Kerry was noticeably absent from the vote.

?I find it quite ironic that the mantra from the Kerry campaign has been jobs yet he is always absent when it comes time to help American workers and businesses,? continued Norquist. ?His absence today should be a real wake up call to the voters that the talk coming from the Kerry camp is nothing but empty rhetoric. If Kerry is serious about increasing investment in America he should stand up to the special interests in his party and tell them to stop obstructing on this important legislation.?

 

[PELarson]

Appears it is only one amendment that held the bill up!

"Senate Republican leaders have decided to figure out a new strategy for pushing to passage a bill to repeal export tax breaks ruled illegal by the World Trade Organization (WTO) after failing to block further amendments to the bill. By a 51-47 vote March 24 the Republicans failed by a wide margin to obtain the 60 votes needed to invoke cloture -- that is, to halt debate. Work on the bill stalled, at least for a few hours, after Senator Bill Frist, the Republican majority leader, announced he would attempt to work out a way to proceed. By most accounts the Republicans were attempting to avoid a politically difficult vote on a proposed amendment aimed at overturning a Bush administration proposed rule that would eliminate overtime pay protection for many workers. However, the underlying bill to repeal the export tax breaks and replace them with a number of other tax breaks and reforms apparently has wide bipartisan support in the Senate. At issue are two U.S. laws that the WTO has ruled as illegal export subsidies, the decades-old Foreign Sales Corporation (FSC) and its successor, the Extraterritorial Income Act (ETI). In the case of U.S. non-compliance the WTO authorized the European Union (EU) to impose sanctions amounting to $4 billion a year. The EU began Mar. 1 imposing tariffs of 5 percent and is prepared to increase the level by one percentage point a month up to 17 percent."

1+ year to put a bill forward the Republican Senate at its finest!