[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 158 (Thursday, November 15, 2001)]
[House]
[Page H8187]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                 TRADE

  (Mr. LINDER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. LINDER. Mr. Speaker, as Americans struggle with economic 
uncertainty, Congress seeks to stimulate our stalled economy and create 
new jobs. However, I daresay that many of my colleagues have overlooked 
one of the most consistent and dependable solutions available, one that 
Congress has the ability to foster: Trade.
  Recent studies have found that if global trade barriers were cut by 
one-third, the world economy would increase by more than $600 billion a 
year. Eliminating trade barriers altogether would increase the global 
economy by nearly $2 trillion.
  The infusion of this much capital into the world market would serve 
as an engine of economic growth and improve the standard of living for 
all Americans.
  Also, it would be unwise to ignore the fact that, since 1990, more 
than 20 million new jobs have been created in the United States.
  It is not merely coincidental that this increase corresponds to the 
enactment of trade agreements such as NAFTA and GATT. In fact, trade 
has stimulated job creation, resulting not only in new jobs, but in 
higher wages in those jobs supported by exports.
  As we seek to alleviate economic hardship, the U.S. must look beyond 
our borders to increase interaction with our trading partners, and 
Congress can facilitate this by supporting trade promotion authority.

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