Democrats last week announced proposals that would add health care and other "safeguards" to trade agreements promoted by the Bush administration, the Wall Street Journal reports (Timiraos, Wall Street Journal, 3/31). Democrats seek to revise intellectual property rights provisions for prescription drugs in trade agreements with Peru and Colombia and establish a new standard for future trade agreements. House Ways and Means Committee Chair Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) has proposed revisions to provisions that protect against the use of clinical trial data for brand-name prescription drugs in the development of generic medications for five years after brand-name treatments are registered in a nation. Critics have said that current provisions could delay approval of generic medications past the date of patent expirations on brand-name treatments in smaller nations, where registration occurs after registration in the U.S. and European Union. Democrats have proposed to revise the provision to prevent such delays (Vaughan, CongressDaily, 3/30). In addition, Democrats have proposed to increase funds for programs that help U.S. workers displaced by international trade. In 2002, the federal government began to provide tax credits to cover 65% of the cost of health insurance for certain workers displaced by trade, but only 11% of workers eligible for the tax credits have taken them. The Bush administration earlier this year "expressed a willingness to make concessions on some issues important to Democrats," but supporters of free trade last week "accused Democrats of moving the goalposts by demanding additional safeguards," the Journal reports (Wall Street Journal, 3/31).

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