Senators Anderson, Basham, Prusi, Olshove, Whitmer, Cherry, Gleason, Clarke, Clark-Coleman, Hunter, Kahn, Barcia, Schauer and Jacobs offered the following concurrent resolution:

            Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 11.

            A concurrent resolution to urge the United States Congress to oppose the South Korea Free Trade Agreement.

            Whereas, The Bush Administration has negotiated a new free trade agreement with South Korea that fails to protect worker rights and will jeopardize tens of thousands of automotive jobs in the United States; and

            Whereas, This flawed agreement is the largest since the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), and it contains no enforceable protections for workers' rights and will undermine the ability of the government to protect food safety, the environment, and public health; and

            Whereas, This agreement will exacerbate and accelerate the loss of good jobs in the United States manufacturing sector, especially in automobiles, apparel, and electronics.  The United States already has a massive trade deficit with South Korea, with a large portion of that deficit in automobiles and automobile parts; and

            Whereas, The agreement will jeopardize thousands of automobile jobs because it opens the United States automobile market further while failing to address the barriers to the sale of United States automobiles in South Korea; and

            Whereas, The United States Trade Representative rejected a very sensible proposal put forward by a bipartisan group of members of Congress to tie any opening of the United States automobile market to concrete benchmarks in United States sales in Korea.  Until such benchmarks are set, we do not have confidence that the South Korea Free Trade Agreement is in the best interests of the United States; now, therefore, be it

            Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), That we urge the United States Congress to oppose the South Korea Free Trade Agreement; and be it further

            Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, and the members of the Michigan congressional delegation.