[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 43 (Thursday, March 18, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E478-E479]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          MY COMMITMENT TO FREE AND FAIR TRADE FOR AGRICULTURE

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. BOB SCHAFFER

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 18, 1999

  Mr. SCHAFFER. Mr. Speaker, Colorado agriculture increasingly depends 
upon the export market to expand sales and increase revenues. The 
expanding world trade in agriculture has a significant impact on both 
the U.S. trade balance and on specific commodities and individual 
farmers.
  No sector of the U.S. economy is subject to more international trade 
barriers than agriculture. The import quotas, high tariffs, government 
buying monopolies and import bans imposed by other nations, coupled 
with the overwhelming number of trade sanctions and embargoes imposed 
on other countries by our own government, cost the American agriculture 
industry billions of dollars each year in lost export opportunities.
  These barriers continue to grow in spite of the General Agreement on 
Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and the North American Free Trade Agreement 
(NAFTA). Without question, they are devastating the ability for 
American agriculture to effectively compete, particularly at a time 
when exports now account for 30% of U.S. farm cash receipts and nearly 
40% of all agricultural production. It is abundantly clear, that in 
addition to free trade, America must guarantee fair trade.
  The 1996 Freedom to Farm Act returned control of farming operations 
to producers in exchange for sharp restrictions on the level of 
government support. The goal was to provide U.S. farmers with the 
flexibility to run their operations according to the marketplace. But 
in exchange, the U.S. government has a clear responsibility to ensure 
that our farmers and ranchers have the ability to compete fairly

[[Page E479]]

against other exporters, not against foreign governments. I will 
continue my efforts in Congress to compel the executive branch to 
vigorously fight foreign trade barriers and utilize available tools 
such as the Export Enhancement Program and the Market Access Program to 
promote U.S. products abroad.
  Furthermore, the State Department and the current administration must 
be forced to understand the economic consequences of utilizing food as 
a diplomatic weapon. Our farmers and ranchers cannot continue to bear 
the overwhelming burden of ineffective unilateral sanctions. The 
federal government should be required to identify funding sources to 
reimburse farmers for the reduction in prices caused by our 
government's actions, and this must occur before such actions are 
permitted to take place.
  Agriculture is the bedrock of the American economy, and our 
agricultural productivity is the envy of the world. Assuring Colorado's 
farmers keep this edge in the global economy is one of my highest 
priorities in Congress.

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