[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 77 (Monday, June 13, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Page S6419]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SENATE RESOLUTION 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

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

                              S. Res. 169

       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

                          ____________________