[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 169 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 169

     Expressing the sense of the Senate with respect to free trade 
  negotiations that could adversely impact consumers of sugar in the 
  United States as well as United States agriculture and the broader 
                     economy of the United States.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 13, 2005

   Mr. Santorum (for himself and Mr. Ensign) submitted the following 
       resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Finance

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
     Expressing the sense of the Senate with respect to free trade 
  negotiations that could adversely impact consumers of sugar in the 
  United States as well as United States agriculture and the broader 
                     economy of the United States.

Whereas the President concluded negotiations with Costa Rica, El Salvador, 
        Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic to form the 
        Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement 
        (``CAFTA-DR'');
Whereas the CAFTA-DR only provides the 5 Central American countries and the 
        Dominican Republic with modest additional access to the United States 
        sugar market that will have no impact on United States sugar producers;
Whereas United States farmers and ranchers need access to new markets to expand 
        the agricultural sector of the United States economy;
Whereas the United States manufacturing and service sectors need access to new 
        markets to expand the broader economy of the United States;
Whereas new market access for United States products is only possible through 
        comprehensive free trade agreements that include all products and 
        services;
Whereas the CAFTA-DR will help build democracy, security, and the rule of law, 
        in addition to helping integrate the economies of the United States and 
        countries in the region;
Whereas sugar growers are already one of the most highly protected special 
        interests in the United States;
Whereas the provisions of the CAFTA-DR offer protection to United States sugar 
        growers, in addition to the numerous existing mechanisms that have been 
        designed to shield sugar growers from any competition;
Whereas the United States sugar program has caused the loss of thousands of jobs 
        in the United States in the sugar product manufacturing and cane 
        refining sector;
Whereas every effort has been taken by the administration and Congress to 
        accommodate the United States sugar growers, but they continue to oppose 
        the CAFTA-DR and any free trade agreement containing new market access 
        for sugar; and
Whereas the United States sugar growers' intransigence in wanting to exclude 
        sugar from all future trade agreements threatens to undermine trade 
        opportunities for United States agriculture and the rest of the United 
        States economy: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that the President 
should negotiate and sign free trade agreements that are comprehensive 
in scope in order to ensure that the entire United States economy can 
benefit from new market opportunities provided by such agreements.
                                 <all>