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By THE WASHINGTON TIMES

SENATE

Baucus suggests green tariffs

The United States must include a tariff or some other "border measure" to protect U.S. manufacturers from unfair foreign competition as part of legislation to address climate change, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus said Tuesday.

"We cannot allow our manufacturing industries to fade as result of trade with countries that refuse to negotiate global solutions to global concerns," the Montana Democrat said.

"We must push our trading partners to do their part to curb harmful emissions and we must devise a border measure, consistent with our international obligations, to prevent the carbon leakage that would occur if U.S. manufacturing shifts to countries without effective climate-change programs," he said.

Border measures generally refer to a tax or tariff on imports, although they could take other forms.

Mr. Baucus, who is expected to play a key role in shaping final U.S. climate legislation, was not specific about what type of border measure he meant.

LABOR

Women to become unionized majority

Women are on track to become a majority of unionized workers in the next 10 years, signaling their growing clout in the labor movement.