[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 193 (Wednesday, December 6, 1995)]
[House]
[Pages H14026-H14027]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           CUT AMERICAN LOSSES ON NAFTA BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE

  (Ms. VELAZQUEZ asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Mr. Speaker, in light of NAFTA's second anniversary a 
few weeks ago, we must take a long, hard look at the empty promises 
that were made and NAFTA's shameful reality.
  We promised American workers that NAFTA would create jobs. 
Corporations descended on Congress promising 200,000 new jobs. The 
shameful truth is 250,000 were lost.
  Mexican workers heard empty promises, too. They were assured higher 
wages and better working conditions. I witnessed NAFTA's reality first 
hand at Mexican maquiladoras. Some of the businesses that came to 
Congress making promises have left the United States and found their 
way to Mexico. They exploit cheap labor and Mexican workers still 
suffer.
  We listened to promises that NAFTA would increase exports, balance 
trade, and even create a trade surplus. The reality is United States 
exports are down while Mexican exports soar. This year alone we face a 
projected $40 billion trade deficit.

[[Page H 14027]]

  Mr. Speaker, these broken promises mean one thing. The time has come 
to fix this bad deal. I urge my colleagues to support the NAFTA 
Accountability Act and cut America's losses before it is too late.

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