Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, October 26, 1993 TAG: 9310260323
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: B8 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: LON WAGNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
\ Rep. L.F. Payne Jr. came out in support of the North American Free Trade Agreement on Monday and immediately began explaining his position to voters whose livelihoods could be jeopardized by the pact.
The Nelson County Democrat, whose 5th District contains thousands of apparel-industry jobs thought to be threatened under NAFTA, thinks a side agreement he ushered through the House Ways and Means Committee will buffer American textile and apparel jobs from the effects of NAFTA.
"I think people who are opposed to this, people in the apparel industry, for instance, are at risk under the scenario if NAFTA doesn't pass as well as if NAFTA does pass," Payne said in a telephone interview Monday.
Payne last week succeeded in getting the Ways and Means Committee, one of Congress' most powerful, to amend legislation needed to implement NAFTA. Under the "rules of origin" for textiles and apparels, only goods that are sewn, woven and spun with material from North America will be given duty-free status when they are imported to the United States.
"Without this amendment, the rules could change," Payne said, "resulting in garments being assembled in Mexico from fabric woven in Pakistan and yarn spun in China - at the expense of jobs in America."
Even with the amendment, Payne's support for the agreement could cause him some difficulty with labor union members in his district.
Dean Goad, president of the International Brotherhood of DuPont Workers, said support of the agreement is the equivalent of support of "slave labor." Goad represents employees at DuPont's nylon plant in Martinsville and 14 other plants.
"I guess it gets down to who you represent," he said. "Do you represent the average John Doe on the street or do you represent the corporate executives? That's who stands to gain."
Payne's announcement, which he drove to Danville to make, is crucial to the Clinton administration's effort to continue building support for the proposed trade agreement among Canada, Mexico and the United States.
The administration is a long way from getting the votes it needs to push the agreement through the House of Representatives. Payne said Monday that House Democrats need to deliver 100 votes for NAFTA to pass, and "we're now in the low 40s."
Payne's support, in fact, was important enough to the Clinton administration for Commerce Secretary Ron Brown to make himself available for a phone interview after Payne's announcement.
"It's part of our overall full-court press on NAFTA," Brown said of his phone call. "I hope it demonstrates the president's resolve to get NAFTA approved and ratified by Jan. 1."
Now that Payne has signed on for NAFTA, he said he would try to win more votes for the agreement, particularly from House members in the South whose districts resemble his.
"The bottom line is: I think this is a good agreement and it gives us an opportunity to move more goods to Mexico," Payne said. "Eventually, that will mean more jobs in this district."
\ VIRGINIA LAWMAKERS POSITIONS ON NAFTA
Sen. John Warner, R-Va.: UNDECIDED.
Sen. Charles Robb, D-Va.: UNDECIDED.
Rep. Herbert Bateman, R-Newport News: UNDECIDED but leaning in favor.
Rep. Owen Pickett, D-Virginia Beach: UNDECIDED.
Rep. Robert C. Scott, D-Newport News: AGAINST.
Rep. Norman Sisisky, D-Petersburg: UNDECIDED
Rep. L.F. Payne, D-Nelson County, FOR.
Rep. Robert Goodlatte, R-Roanoke: UNDECIDED but leaning in favor.
Rep. Thomas J. Bliley, R-Richmond: FOR.
Rep. James Moran, D-Alexandria: FOR.
Rep. Rick Boucher, D-Abingdon: UNDECIDED.
Rep. Frank Wolf, R-Fairfax County: UNDECIDED but leaning in favor.
Rep. Leslie Byrne, D-Fairfax: AGAINST. - Associated Press
by CNB