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October 17, 2008    DOL Home > ILAB > ILAB Congressional Testimony   

ILAB Congressional Testimony

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Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB)
Jorge Perez-Lopez
Associate Deputy Under Secretary

FY 2004 Budget Testimony before the
House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education
May 1, 2003

Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee:

I am pleased to appear before you to present the Department of Labor's Fiscal Year 2004 request for the Bureau of International Labor Affairs, or ILAB.

The Administration's Fiscal Year 2004 budget request for the Bureau of International Labor Affairs totals $12.3 million and 60 FTE – a decrease of $135 million and 65 FTE from the FY 2003 level. The Department’s budget request was developed with careful consideration of all of the realities now facing our country. During the budget process, we had to set priorities in accord with our nation’s current economic and employment conditions. Our budget request enables ILAB to continue to coordinate the Department’s global responsibilities in 2004 and to provide expert support for many of the Administration’s international initiatives, including the promotion of core labor standards and the elimination of exploitative child labor. It will also allow ILAB to continue to serve as the representative of the Department of Labor in interagency policymaking on trade and economic matters, to represent the U.S. Government in the International Labor Organization and the labor components of other international organizations, and to conduct critical research on international economic issues.

The President’s ambitious trade agenda, which was made possible by the passage of the Trade Act of 2002, has provided ILAB with an important new challenge to focus its efforts on supporting the President’s goal of expanding free trade. The Act has allowed America to restore its leadership on trade and press aggressively to secure benefits of open markets for American families, farmers, manufacturers, workers, consumers and businesses. This legislation also assigns numerous consultative, reporting and technical assistance responsibilities to the President. Many of these functions have been delegated to Executive Branch agencies, including the Department of Labor, and in 2004 ILAB will provide expert support for many of the Administration's key initiatives under the Act.

The President’s trade agenda has important implications for American workers, who will benefit from new global market opportunities. ILAB has already played a key role in the negotiations of the labor chapters of the U.S. – Singapore and U.S. – Chile Free Trade Agreements and is currently supporting the administration's efforts on free trade agreements with Morocco, the Central American Common Market (Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua), the South African Customs Union (South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia and Swaziland) and Australia.

ILAB’s expanded responsibilities under the Trade Act of 2002 include conducting research related to each of the proposed Free Trade Agreements (FTA). The Executive Branch is required to submit to Congress a report on the economic impact of each FTA on American workers, on worker rights in each FTA country, and on the laws governing exploitative child labor in each of the countries.

ILAB will continue to play a significant role in the implementation of other labor provisions in U.S. trade laws, including the Generalized System of Preferences and trade preference programs such as the African Growth and Opportunity Act and the Caribbean Basin Trade Preferences Act.

In addition, ILAB will continue to conduct research on child labor, immigration, trade policy and labor conditions in foreign countries.

ILAB will continue to administer U.S. Government responsibilities under the North American Agreement on Labor Cooperation (NAALC), often referred to as the NAFTA labor supplemental agreement. It will also continue to be responsible for the U.S. Government contribution to and representation on the NAALC’s trinational Commission for Labor Cooperation.

Throughout its history ILAB has represented the U.S. Government in the International Labor Organization (ILO) and on the Employment, Labor and Social Affairs Committee of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and it will continue to serve these important functions.

ILAB will continue to represent the U.S. Government in the labor components of the G-8, the OECD, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), and the US-EU Working Group on Employment and Labor-Related Issues. Representation in these institutions has been a central part of ILAB's mission and we will continue to effectively represent the United States in these important fora.

The Bureau will continue to play a role in supporting the Administration’s international efforts such as preventing and combating the spread of HIV/AIDS. The FY 2004 President’s request for government-wide spending on HIV/AIDS-related prevention, treatment, research, and care activities is $17.6 billion – an increase of $1.2 billion or 7 percent above the FY 2003 Budget request. Rather than through direct grant assistance, the Bureau will work with the Administration and other Federal agencies with international portfolios to ensure that this and other critical international priorities are addressed. In addition, ILAB will redefine its staff responsibilities to ensure effective oversight of multi-year technical assistance projects whose funding has already been obligated and will take the appropriate steps to phase down grant programs as they conclude.

Under its budget request for FY 2004, ILAB will maintain an excellent, capable staff and sufficient resources to continue its key role in labor policy and advocacy. The Bureau will be able to support U.S. diplomacy as needed and will continue to serve the interests of American workers.




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