A resolution designating April 2007 as "National Autism Awareness Month" and supporting efforts to increase funding for research into the causes and treatment of autism and to improve training and support for individuals with autism and those who care for individuals with autism.

Mr. President, I am pleased to again submit a measure to begin to address one of the central problems our Nation faces, namely the loss of family-supporting jobs because of our flawed trade policies.

Today's announcement that the U.S. trade deficit for 2006 rose to $764 billion, setting a record for the fifth consecutive year, is a stark reminder of just how seriously flawed our trade policies are. Those policies have far reaching consequences, and they require a multifaceted response.

One response must be to take on the trade deficit directly, and I have been pleased to join the Senator from North Dakota, Mr. Dorgan, to do just that.

But we also must change the agreements into which we enter with our trading partners.

The record of the major trade agreements into which our Nation has entered over the past few years has been dismal. Thanks in great part to the flawed fast track rules that govern consideration of legislation implementing trade agreements, the United States has entered into a number of trade agreements that have contributed to the significant job loss we have seen in recent years, and have laid open to assault various laws and regulations established to protect workers, the environment, and our health and safety. Indeed, those agreements undermine the very democratic institutions through which we govern ourselves.

The loss of jobs, especially manufacturing jobs, to other countries has been devastating to Wisconsin, and to the entire country. When I opposed the North American Free Trade Agreement, the Uruguay round of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade,

Permanent Normal Trade Relations for China, and other flawed trade measures, I did so in great part because I believed they would lead to a significant loss of jobs. But even as an opponent of those agreements, I don't think I could have imagined just how bad things would get in so short a time.

The trade policy of this country over the past several years has been appalling. The trade agreements into which we have entered have contributed to the loss of key employers, ravaging entire communities. But despite that clear evidence, we continue to see trade agreements being reached that will only aggravate this problem.

This has to stop. We cannot afford to pursue trade policies that gut our manufacturing sector and send good jobs overseas. We cannot afford to undermine the safeguards we have established for workers, the environment, and our public health and safety. And we cannot afford to chip way at our democratic heritage by entering into trade agreements that supercede our right to govern ourselves through open, democratic institutions.

The legislation I am introducing today addresses this problem, at least in part. It establishes some minimum standards for the trade agreements into which our Nation enters. It sets forth principles for future trade agreements. It is a break with the so-called NAFTA model, and instead advocates the kinds of sound trade policies that will spur economic growth and sustainable development.

The principles set forth in this resolution are not complex. They are straightforward and achievable. The resolution calls for enforceable worker protections, including the core International Labor Organization standards.

It preserves the ability of the United States to enact and enforce its own trade laws.

It protects foreign investors, but states that foreign investors should not be provided with greater rights than those provided under U.S. law, and it protects public interest laws from challenge by foreign investors in secret tribunals.

It ensures that food entering into our country meets domestic food safety standards.

It preserves the ability of Federal, State, and local governments to maintain essential public services and to regulate private sector services in the public interest.

It requires that trade agreements contain environmental provisions subject to the same enforcement as commercial provisions.

It preserves the right of Federal, State, and local governments to use procurement as a policy tool, including through Buy American laws, environmental laws such as recycled content, and purchasing preferences for small, minority, or women-owned businesses.

It requires that trade negotiations and the implementation of trade agreements be conducted openly.

These are sensible policies, and will advance the goal of increased international commerce.

The outgrowth of the major trade agreements into which we have entered has been a race to the bottom in labor standards, environmental standards, health and safety standards, in nearly every aspect of our economy. A race to the bottom is a race in which even the winners lose.

For any who doubt this, I invite you to ask the families in Wisconsin who have watched their jobs move to China.

We can't let this continue to happen. We need to turn our trade policies around. We need to pursue trade agreements that will promote sustainable economic growth for our Nation and for our trading partners. This resolution will begin to put us on that path, and I urge my colleagues to support it.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Armed Services be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, March 1, 2007, at 9:30 a.m., in open session to receive testimony on Afghanistan.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation be authorized to hold a hearing during the sessions of the Senate on Thursday, March 1, 2007, at 10 a.m. in room 253 of the Russell Senate Office Building. The purpose of the hearing is to evaluate the Universal Service fund.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources be authorized to hold a hearing during the session of the Senate on Thursday, March 1, 2007, at 9:30 a.m. in room SD-366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. The purpose of the hearing is to receive testimony on the Energy Information Administration's Annual Energy Outlook.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Environment and Public Works be authorized to meet for a hearing on Thursday, March 1, 2007, at 10 a.m. in SD-406. The purpose of the hearing is to review state, local and regional government approaches to address global warming.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Finance be authorized to meet during the session on Thursday, March 1, 2007, at 10 a.m., in 215 Dirksen Senate Office Building, to hear testimony on ``Medicare Payment for Physician Services: Examining New Approaches''.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be authorized to conduct a markup on Thursday, March 1, 2007 at 10 a.m. in Dirksen Senate Office Building Room 226.

Agenda

I. Matters Carried Over from Previous Meeting: S. 236, The Federal Agency Data Mining Reporting Act of 2007, Feingold, Sununu; S. 378, The Court Security Improvement Act of 2007, Leahy, Specter, Durbin, Cornyn, Kennedy, Hatch; S. 442, The John R. Justice Prosecutors and Defenders Incentive Act of 2007, Durbin, Specter, Leahy, Biden.

II. Nominations: Thomas M. Hardiman to be United States Circuit Judge for the Third Circuit: John Preston Bailey to be U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of West Virginia; Otis D. Wright, II, to be U.S. District Judge for the Central District of California; George H. Wu to be U.S. District Judge for the Central District of California.

III. Bills: S. 261, Animal Fighting Prohibition Enforcement Act of 2007, Cantwell, Specter, Durbin, Kyl, Feinstein, Feingold, Kohl; S. 376, Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act of 2007, Leahy, Specter, Kyl, Cornyn, Grassley, Sessions.

IV. Resolutions: S. Res. 78, Designating April 2007 as ``National Autism Awareness Month'', Hagel, Feingold; S. Res. 81, Recognizing the 45th anniversary of John Glenn's becoming the first United States astronaut to orbit the Earth), Brown, Voinovich.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Select Committee on Intelligence be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on March 1, 2007 at 2:30 p.m. to hold a closed hearing.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, Government Information, and International Security be authorized to meet on Thursday, March 1, 2007, at 3 p.m. for a hearing regarding ``Improving Federal Financial Management: Progress Made and the Challenges Ahead,''

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests be authorized to hold a hearing during the session of the Senate on Thursday, March 1, 2007, at 2 p.m. in room SD-366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. The purpose of the hearing is to receive testimony on S. 380, to reauthorize the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000, and for other purposes.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed en bloc to consideration of the following calendar items: Calendar No. 28, S. Res. 47; Calendar No. 29, S. Res. 49; Calendar No. 62, S. Res. 78; Calendar No. 63, S. Res. 84; and Calendar No. 64, H. Con. Res. 44.

I ask unanimous consent that the resolutions and concurrent resolution be agreed to en bloc, the preambles be agreed to en bloc, the motions to reconsider be laid on the table en bloc, that the consideration of these items appear separately in the Record, and that any statements be printed in the Record.