[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 99 (Wednesday, July 20, 2005)]
[House]
[Page H6174]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                             TWO-WAY STREET

  (Mr. WELLER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. WELLER. Mr. Speaker, I stand here in strong support of the 
Dominican Republic-Central American Free Trade Agreement, a trade 
agreement that is a win-win for Illinois farmers, Illinois 
manufacturers, and Illinois workers that currently trades one way with 
Central America and the Caribbean.
  In Illinois 40 percent of our farm production is exported, where 
right now under the Caribbean Basin Initiative 99 percent of the 
Caribbean and Central American farm products enter the United States 
duty-free, where Illinois corn faces a 20 percent tariff, Illinois 
soybeans face a 30 percent tariff, Illinois pork faces a 40 percent 
tariff. And, frankly, with DR-CAFTA we essentially wipe out those 
tariffs on Illinois products.
  When it comes to manufacturing there are 151,000 jobs in my State 
dependent on exports; and under the current status quo 80 percent of 
manufactured goods, textiles for example, from the Caribbean and 
Central America enter Illinois and the United States duty-free while 
manufacturing goods from my district, apparel, textiles, bulldozers 
face tariffs of 14 percent up to 20 percent. Again, under DR-CAFTA 
those tariffs are eliminated immediately.
  The status quo is not good for farmers. The status quo is not good 
for manufacturers because under the current status quo our products 
going to Central America, exported to Central America, suffer tariffs. 
Theirs come in duty-free.
  Let us make this trade a two-way street. Vote yes for CAFTA. Help 
manufacturers, help farmers eliminate those duties on our products.

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