Pardee Task Force Report on NAFTA goes to Washington

Pardee Faculty Fellow Kevin P. Gallagher traveled to Washington last  week to launch the new Pardee Center Task Force Report titled “The Future of North American Trade Policy: Lessons from NAFTA.” Gallagher, with task force members Robert Stumberg from Georgetown University Law School and Timothy Wise from Tufts Unversity’s Global Development Institute, gave presentations based on the report at a prominent DC think tank, in the House of Representatives, in the US Senate, and to the new administration.

On December 9, from  9:00-10:30 am, Gallagher, Wise and Stumberg  presented the findings from the report at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (hear audio here). The event was attended by over 70 members of think tanks, embassies, government agencies, the private sector, and civil society. Also on December 9, task force members held a briefing with senior officials at the U.S. Trade Representative’s office.

On December 10, from 2:30-4:00 pm, Pardee’s Gallagher took part in a  Senate briefing titled “U.S. Investment Treaties and the Public Interest: U.S.-China Negotiations, the Administration’s Review of the Bilateral Investment Treaty Program, and the Implications for Labor, Environment, Democracy and Development.” At the event, sponsored by Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) Gallagher drew from recommendations in the Pardee Task Force report to urge Congress to enact future investment treaties that learn the lessons of the NAFTA model.

On December 11, from Noon-2:00 pm, Pardee’s Gallagher and Timothy A. Wise held a briefing on the Task Force report at the U.S. House of Representatives sponsored by Reps. Mike Michaud and Louise Slaughter. Finally, at 4:30 pm on December 11 Gallagher and Wise held private briefings for key Senate staff on the report.