HCR8 (2005) Detail

Urging the Congress of the United States to place a moratorium on new free trade agreements, to investigate and review current free trade agreements and policies of the United States, to investigate and review participation of the United States with international trade organizations and to ensure that such agreements, policies, and participation are in the best interests of the citizens of the state of New Hampshire and the United States.


HCR 8 – AS INTRODUCED

2005 SESSION

05-0776

05/03

HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 8

A RESOLUTION urging the Congress of the United States to place a moratorium on new free trade agreements, to investigate and review current free trade agreements and policies of the United States, to investigate and review participation of the United States with international trade organizations and to ensure that such agreements, policies, and participation are in the best interests of the citizens of the state of New Hampshire and the United States.

SPONSORS: Rep. Ingbretson, Graf 5; Rep. Buhlman, Hills 27

COMMITTEE: State-Federal Relations and Veterans Affairs

ANALYSIS

This resolution urges the Congress of the United States to place a moratorium on new free trade agreements, to investigate and review current free trade agreements and policies of the United States, to investigate and review participation of the United States with international trade organizations and to ensure that such agreements, policies, and participation are in the best interests of the citizens of the state of New Hampshire and the United States.

05-0776

05/03

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Five

A RESOLUTION urging the Congress of the United States to place a moratorium on new free trade agreements, to investigate and review current free trade agreements and policies of the United States, to investigate and review participation of the United States with international trade organizations and to ensure that such agreements, policies, and participation are in the best interests of the citizens of the state of New Hampshire and the United States.

Whereas, since 1990 the state of New Hampshire has lost 24,000 manufacturing jobs, 20 percent of them between 2001 and 2003; and

Whereas, manufacturing has a spin-off effect of 3 to 7 jobs created for each manufacturing job; and

Whereas, free trade agreements and policies of the United States with other nations have severely affected American manufacturing industries and the workers they employ; and

Whereas, participation by the United States in international trade organizations may imperil the success of American manufacturing; and

Whereas, foreign nations, such as China, have engaged in a wide range of unfair trading practices, including the manipulation of currency and dumping below-cost subsidized products into the United States market; and

Whereas, United States manufacturers cannot compete with foreign companies who pay a small fraction of the salaries paid to United States manufacturing employees, provide no health benefits to their workers, do not have to comply with any governmental requirements for the safety of their employees or for the protection of the environment, pay no pensions, and are government-subsidized; and

Whereas, the citizens of the state of New Hampshire are being harmfully affected by trade agreements and policies between the United States and foreign nations, resulting in the closing of many of our manufacturing industries, negatively affecting our families, our communities, and the state at large when thousands of workers lose their jobs; now therefore be it

Resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate concurring:

That the general court of the state of New Hampshire urges the Congress of the United States to place a moratorium on all new trade agreements, to investigate and review all current free trade agreements and policies of the United States, to investigate and review participation of the United States in international trade organizations, and to ensure that such agreements, policies, and participation are in the best interests of the citizens of the state of New Hampshire and the United States; and

That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, the President of the United States Senate, and to each member of the New Hampshire congressional delegation.