Senate Ag Committee Chairman Tom Harkin is welcoming the action on the part of the United States to help move the Doha Round forward. He says the offer represents a significant decrease in trade distorting ag supports - signifying the U.S. is ready to negotiate in good faith to complete the Round. But to reach a successful agreement - he says the proposal must be met with comparable initiatives on the part of other key WTO members in the area of market access. He says he’s hopeful an agreement is within reach.

Harkin’s Iowa colleague Chuck Grassley is weighing in on the developments in Geneva, too - but in a different way. Grassley - the ranking member of the Finance Committee - which has jurisdiction over international trade - is responding to reports that India says the U.S. offer doesn’t pass the laugh test. Grassley says India has yet to make a constructive proposal that will advance the Doha Round of negotiations. He says it’s important to see meaningful reductions in tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade from all sides - and if India is going to stand in the way of opening new trade flows - negotiators might as well pack up and head home early.