Pakistanis Push Trade, Not Just Aid, After Floods (Associated Press)
The Associated Press quotes senior fellow Kimberly Ann Elliott on trade legislation in the U.S.
From the article:
"At a time when America is struggling to recover from the worst economic downturn in 80 years, and with national unemployment at historic levels, the last thing that the Obama administration should consider is a proposal that destroys critical manufacturing jobs," U.S. textile industry groups said in a Sept. 1 letter opposing the U.S. chamber's call for expanding the legislation in light of the floods.
One trade expert said that expanding Pakistan's access to the U.S. market would have little impact on American workers, who mostly make firefighting suits, auto seat covers and other higher-end textile products that Pakistan doesn't produce.
But she agreed there's little chance of any legislation passing. "I had one (congressional) staffer tell me if it's even one U.S. job right now, we're not going to do it," said Kimberly Ann Elliott, a senior fellow at the Center for Global Development in Washington, D.C. "It was a Democrat."
Pakistani business leaders say the lack of action is particularly galling because of their country's cooperation with U.S. requests to root out militants who are launching attacks into Afghanistan from Pakistan's northwest. The army-led effort has sparked retaliatory attacks by the militants on targets across Pakistan.