Wool Suit Fabric Labeling Fairness and International Standards Conforming Act

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4583) to amend the Wool Products Labeling Act of 1939 to revise the requirements for labeling of certain wool and cashmere products, as amended.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on the legislation and to insert extraneous material on the bill.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4583, the Wool Suit Fabric Labeling Fairness and International Standards Conforming Act, introduced by my colleague, Mrs. Blackburn of Tennessee, and co- sponsored by my colleague, the ranking member of our subcommittee, Ms. Schakowsky of Illinois.

This is a simple bill, my colleagues, which is fundamental and has a fundamental purpose: to give consumers the information they need to make buying decisions about the products they want.

This bill would amend the Wool Products Labeling Act of 1939 to make specific and standard certain designations of fabric quality for certain wool products.

For years, high-end suits and other expensive wool garments have carried the label ``super'' and a number like 120 or 130, to designate the fineness of the weave of the wool and thus the quality and cost of producing the fabric. It is about time we make certain that there is a standard, internationally accepted definition of the ``super'' designation to ensure that unscrupulous garment manufacturers don't dupe consumers with simple phony labels. We owe that to the American consumer and to the great American textile industry that produces these fine products.

H.R. 4583 makes the ``super'' designation a standard designation of quality wool products. Likewise, the Wool Suit Fabric Labeling Fairness and International Standards Conforming Act creates a specific and standard definition of cashmere so that the term cashmere actually means a certain thing rather than serving as an nonspecific reference to a quality. The end result is a bill that establishes a legal standard for labeling ``super'' and cashmere wool products based on internationally accepted standards.

As I said, while these may seem a bit technical, standardizing the designation of a certain level of quality, no matter what the products, allows consumers and the manufacturers alike to be certain that what they are spending their hard-earned dollars on is real and is genuine. That is a laudable goal for any piece of legislation.

I therefore would like to urge my colleagues to join me in supporting it on final passage.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the author of the bill, the gentlewoman from Tennessee (Mrs. Blackburn).

Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I do rise today in support of this legislation to update our wool labeling laws. I want to thank Chairman Barton, Ranking Member Dingell, as well as Chairman Stearns, for their help in bringing the legislation forward. I also want to thank and commend my friend from Illinois, the ranking member of the Commerce Trade and Consumer Protections Subcommittee, Representative Schakowsky, for joining me to sponsor the legislation.

The Wool Suit Fabric Labeling Fairness and International Standards Conforming Act will modernize the Wool Labeling Act by using the international definition of ``super'' as an identifier for the quality of wool products. We have written this legislation to protect consumers and industry participants from the mislabeling of certain suiting fabrics.

In recent years, many wool products at the wholesale and retail level, including worsted wool fabrics and apparel items, are being marketed and labeled as ``super 100,'' and ``super 120s,'' and so- called ``super'' grades. These refer to the fineness of the yarn contained in the product. The finer the average yard is in diameter, the higher the super's grade.

Higher super grades reflect products that are supposed to have higher yarns and therefore sold at higher prices. The Wool Labeling Act, which regulates the labeling of wool products in the United States, has not been amended to reflect the current marketing practice of using supers as an identifier for quality wool products.

The International Wool Textile Organization is the international body representing the interests of the world's wool textile industry, which includes the U.S., oversees the implementation of the International Wool Textile Arbitration Agreement. The IWTO has adopted a code of practice regarding the use of the term ``super'' on wool products, and the exact yarn diameter that each level of ``super'' must contain. Woolmark, a company that licenses the use of the Woolmark logo, has accepted the identical definition.

Modernization of the Wool Labeling Act has strong support, as my colleague mentioned. It is supported by the National Textile Association, Victor Forstman, UNITE, the Cashmere and Camel Hair Manufacturers Institute, the American Apparel and Footwear Association, Hartmarx, and Hickey Freeman on behalf of the Tailored Clothing Association.

As the domestic tailored clothing industry and wool textile mills continue to face significant challenges, this legislation is timely and it is vital to the continued health of this important manufacturing sector in the U.S. I urge my colleagues to support the legislation.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4583, the Wool Suit Fabric Labeling Fairness and International Standards Conforming Act; and I want to thank Representative Blackburn, the lead sponsor of H.R. 4583. It was a pleasure to work with her and her staff on a bill that would help consumers, American workers, and manufacturers in the wool products industry.

Our bill would update the Wool Products Labeling Act of 1939 to include the internationally recognized standards for wool fiber content of the various ``super'' grade fabric, and ensure that any clothing labeled as cashmere actually includes hair from the cashmere goat.

Although quite simple and straightforward, our bill is very important to the U.S. wool products industry. With the increase in imports from China, the domestic apparel manufacturers and textile mills face significant challenges to maintaining employment and production. By requiring clothing to be labeled properly, our bill will help level the playing field. It will ensure that consumers are better informed about the products they are buying, and it will put an end to mislabeled wool and cashmere products in the United States. No longer will imported suits of a lower quality be able to claim they are the same high quality as those bearing the ``made in the U.S.A.'' label. This bill updates the outdated law that does not recognize the different levels of yarn fineness.

We have a great tradition of wool suit craftsmanship in the United States. By updating the Wool Products Labeling Act, H.R. 4583 will help ensure the health and vitality of the U.S. apparel and textile industry which includes members of my union, UNITE HERE!, and two Chicago-based manufacturers, Hartmarx and Oxxford Clothes.

The passage of our bill will ensure that the U.S. tailored clothing industry can continue to thrive in the international marketplace. H.R. 4583 is supported both by the wool suit manufacturers and the Garment Workers Union, UNITE HERE!, as well as the U.S. textile industry. I urge my colleagues to support it as well, and I look forward to the passage of this bill today.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, let me close by saying this: this is really a jobs bill and a truth-in-labeling bill. It is a win-win-win situation: good for the consumers, good for the manufacturers, good for the garment workers. And I urge its passage.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Commerce be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 4583 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be read the third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and that any statements relating thereto be printed in the Record.

The bill (H.R. 4583) was ordered to a third reading, was read the third time, and passed.