U.S.-China Trade Bill: Debate Intensifies Among Lawmakers; Hutchinson Brothers Embrace Opposing Views; Clinton Guardedly Optimistic
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: While politics can make for strange bedfellows, business can make for odd marriages. Both axioms are being put to the test today on Capitol Hill. On the eve of a critical vote in the House, lawmakers and lobbyists scrambling to secure allies in the debate over liberalizing trade ties with China. Much is at stake economically, and certainly politically. According to a new Gallup poll, 56 percent of Americans surveyed now support normalizing trade relations with China; 37 percent oppose it. As far as its impact on the U.S. economy, 48 percent say it will help, while 37 percent say it will indeed hurt. But most do not have as much optimism for its overall impact on U.S. workers: 28 percent say workers will benefit, 57 percent say they will not. CNN national correspondent Bob Franken live on the Hill this morning. Bob, good morning to you.</s>BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.</s>HEMMER: Tell us, what would this bill do?</s>FRANKEN: Well, first of all, we do have at the moment normal trade relations with China; in other words, the same kind of trade relations we have with other favorite partners. But, in the case of China, it has been a matter that Congress has to approve every year. This would -- and you can tell from the title -- make that permanent. The title of the legislation is Permanent Normal Trade Relations, and that is what they're voting on, to take it away from Congress, the right to decide each year whether China, in fact, should maintain those normal trade relations. It's part of an ongoing negotiation with China about its entry into the World Trade Organizations. As you pointed out, Bill, there is very, very heavy lobbying on both sides.</s>HEMMER: Will the House pass it? That's the big question right now. Some votes teetering both ways.</s>FRANKEN: There is. As a matter of fact, the latest whip counts show that the proponents of the legislation are about 30 votes down from the 218 that they're going to need. On the other side, those who oppose the legislation probably are about 40 shy. It would look like the proponents, those who support PNTR, have the advantage. I should point out, by the way, that the Senate is considered a given, so this is the battleground here in the House of Representatives.</s>HEMMER: We will see if that showdown indeed goes down tomorrow. Bob Franken, thanks. Come back, all right? Now to Kyra.</s>KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: The debate not only pits party members against each other, it has even created some sibling rivalry. CNN congressional correspondent Jonathan Karl looks at two brothers on different sides of the issue.</s>REP. ASA HUTCHINSON (R), ARKANSAS: Good morning, Senator.</s>JONATHAN KARL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The Hutchinson brothers are the best of friends, and some of Washington's most famous car-poolers. Representative Asa of impeachment fame, and Tim, his elder brother in the Senate, are usually political soulmates. But when it comes to trade with China, Senator Tim can be found on one side of the Capitol joining with Democrats decrying China's human rights record...</s>SEN. TIM HUTCHINSON (R), ARKANSAS: From religious persecution to crackdowns on political dissent to torture to forced labor to trafficking of women and children, it's all happening in China, and it appears to be getting worse.</s>KARL: And his brother Asa can be found on the other side of the Capitol making the case for trade with China.</s>A. HUTCHINSON: And I'm convinced without any question that in my direct in Arkansas, trade with China creates and preserves jobs.</s>KARL: Tim, who has pictures of the Tiananmen Square massacre on his wall, agrees about the economic benefits of trade, but says the issue is China's behavior in recent years.</s>T. HUTCHINSON: The continued proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, the security lapses and their efforts at espionage, the human rights abuses, and our response is to reward them -- that, to me, sends the wrong signal to the world.</s>KARL: His younger brother Asa says he, too, is worried about human rights, but he thinks trade ultimately helps reformers in China.</s>A. HUTCHINSON: Continuing trade with China is the best path for the United States, and, just as significantly, the best path for, hopefully, what we'll see as burgeoning democracy movements in China.</s>KARL: It's not a difference of political ideology. Both are conservatives. And it doesn't seem to be political expedience, either. Tim held the same views when he represented Asa's district. So what gives?</s>T. HUTCHINSON: This is an issue over which good people of good conscience can honorably disagree.</s>KARL: Idealistic, maybe, but having a brother on the other side is one way to keep the debate civil. Jonathan Karl, CNN, Capitol Hill.</s>PHILLIPS: President Clinton is allowing a bit of optimism to seep into his otherwise guarded predictions. For the latest from the White House, we turn to CNN's Kelly Wallace. Hi, Kelly.</s>KELLY WALLACE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Hi there, Kyra. It is a tricky thing: White House officials privately think they will win this, but publicly they don't want to appear too confident. The last thing they want to do is let undecided lawmakers who worry about the political implications of voting for the China trade deal think that the White House doesn't need their votes. And for now, the administration says it has more work to do and it still doesn't have the votes it needs. Later this morning, the president will make yet another push for Permanent Normal Trade Relations with China at an event with House Speaker Dennis Hastert where the two leaders will announce they have come to a bipartisan agreement on getting investment in low income communities. Mr. Clinton is also expected to meet later this afternoon with some undecided lawmakers here at the White House. The arguments from the White House continue to be that this deal would not only be good for the U.S. economically, but that it could also lead to democratic change in China. Here's the president's national economic adviser, Gene Sperling.</s>GENE SPERLING, WHITE HOUSE ECONOMIC ADVISER: It's a one-way deal, so obviously it will help our -- us export to China. I think it will help us create jobs at places like Boeing and other places that need to rely on exports for job growth. And secondly, we believe it's very important for pushing reform in China and for making sure that we're bringing China into the global rule of nations, the global rule of law, and that that will help push reform in China in the future.</s>WALLACE: But opponents of the measure, mostly labor unions, argue that by voting for normal trade relations, the U.S. would be giving up its annual review of China's record on labor right and religious tolerance and human rights. Again, as Bob Franken mentioned, a massive lobbying blitz is under way of both -- of undecided lawmakers. The president has called this the most important vote the Congress will face this year. Kelly Wallace, CNN, reporting live from the White House.</s>HEMMER: Kelly, thanks.