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Salt Lake TribuneHatch stands in way of funds for displaced workers
By Matt Canham
The Salt Lake Tribune
First published 7 hours ago
Updated 1 hour ago Updated May 26, 2011 09:28PM
Washington • Democrats want to tie the passage of three new trade agreements with more federal help for workers who see their jobs shipped overseas.
But Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, is standing in the way, saying the extra benefits are too expensive and unrelated to trade agreements negotiated with Panama, Colombia and South Korea.
“We’re broke,” Hatch said Thursday. “With a $7 billion price tag, this just doesn’t make sense.”
The Senate Finance Committee, led by Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., has held two hearings on the long-stalled trade agreements this week, where Baucus forcefully called for increased funding for what is known as the “trade adjustment assistance” (TAA) program in conjunction with the free trade agreements.
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http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/money/51893521-79/trade-hatch-agreements-program.html.csp