[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 158 (Thursday, November 15, 2001)]
[House]
[Page H8188]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              TRADE PROMOTION AUTHORITY FOR PRESIDENT BUSH

  (Mr. DREIER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, virtually every Member of Congress is 
talking about the need for us to turn around the economic challenges 
that we have faced leading up to September 11, and the situation which 
certainly was exacerbated with what took place on September 11.
  We have right now an effort going on to put together an economic 
security bill which deals with putting in place both spending, 
opportunities to help those who are at the lower end of the economic 
spectrum, and also tax reductions, which are designed to encourage 
economic growth.
  I think it is important for us to note that as we look towards job 
creation and economic growth, one of the most important things that 
this institution can do is to create an opportunity for President Bush 
and his team to go out and pry open new markets for U.S. goods and 
services throughout the world.
  It is very apparent that within this hemisphere, every single one of 
the democratically elected leaders is committed to our goal of 
establishing a Free Trade Area of the Americas. Their goal is to have 
this done by 2005. Some of the countries would like to move it up even 
quicker.
  But Mr. Speaker, unless we grant the President trade promotion 
authority, the ability to put together that very important Free Trade 
Area of the Americas and other agreements would be greatly diminished.
  We will, in the not too distant future, be facing an opportunity to 
do something that will create jobs, help the workers in this country, 
and encourage economic growth, so I hope very much that, in a 
bipartisan way, our colleagues will join in support of trade promotion 
authority.

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