Proponents of granting China PNTR have suggested that a quick debate and Senate vote early this spring in favor of PNTR could give the legislation needed momentum going into a much tougher battle in the House of Representatives. It ought not be treated lightly. There are a whole set of issues dealing with human rights and environmental and labor standards that had, until the recent events in Seattle, been off the radar screen in this country and the Congress. People in the country have real worries that this deal may hurt them more than it will help. What Seattle showed was that there is increasing concern in our country about the costs of globalization.
More people see the importance of maintaining basic labor and environmental standards.
For the U.S. Senate to give these topics short shrift would be irresponsible. These are the central economic issues of our time and we ought to have a full debate.