[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 106 (Friday, July 29, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1734-E1735]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 DOMINICAN REPUBLIC-CENTRAL AMERICA-UNITED STATES FREE TRADE AGREEMENT 
                           IMPLEMENTATION ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. KENNY C. HULSHOF

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 27, 2005

  Mr. HULSHOF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Dominican 
Republic-Central American Free Trade Agreement, DR-CAFTA, as it will 
level the playing field for American manufacturers and farmers. The six 
DR-CAFTA countries, which include the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, 
Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Honduras, have had preferential 
access to U.S. markets for approximately 20 years as a result of the 
Caribbean Basin Initiative, CBI, and the Generalized System of 
Preferences, GSP, program. Consequently, DR-CAFTA countries have 
enjoyed a ``one-way street'' of market access where by 80 percent of 
goods and almost 99 percent of agricultural products enter duty free. 
Conversely, American exporters have faced tariffs on almost all of the 
goods exported to the region.
  It is vital to my home State of Missouri that we continue to expand 
and open new markets for American farm products. In 2003, 25 percent of 
Missouri's $5 billion farm cash receipts were attributable to foreign 
trade. Half of all soybeans and 1 in 5 rows of corn grown in Missouri 
are destined for foreign markets. Absent DR-CAFTA, American farm 
exports will

[[Page E1735]]

continue being subject to tariffs ranging from 35 percent to 60 
percent. This puts our farmers and ranchers at a significant 
competitive disadvantage with our international competitors in these 
growing markets. It would be foolish to turn our backs on an agreement 
that removes these sort of punitive barriers to our products. If we 
pass DR-CAFTA, we will open the doors to six countries where the 
potential U.S. gain for all agricultural exports is expected to reach 
$1.5 billion. Put another way, this would mean a near doubling of the 
U.S. agricultural sales to the region when compared to 2003 levels.
  It is for this reason that DR-CAFTA enjoys the strong support of the 
American Farm Bureau Federation, the American Soybean Association, the 
National Corn Growers Association, the National Pork Producers Council, 
the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, the USA Rice Federation, the 
National Association of Wheat Growers and the National Milk Producers 
Federation, just to name a few. To borrow from Farm Bureau, a vote for 
DR-CAFTA is a vote for agriculture.
  There are many critics who erroneously believe that by ratifying DR-
CAFTA, the United States is relinquishing our national sovereignty and 
opening our borders to floods of immigrants. On the contrary, nothing 
in the DR-CAFTA will preempt the Constitution, current U.S. laws and 
our sovereignty. Should a contradiction arise between the terms of  DR-
CAFTA and U.S. law, the U.S. will maintain its right to change domestic 
laws as it sees fit.

  Moreover, enactment of DR-CAFTA will have no effect on current 
immigration laws. Congress will maintain its role in crafting U.S. 
immigration policy. And in fact, DR-CAFTA will help reduce illegal 
immigration. As the economic opportunities that accompany free market 
reforms take a stronger hold in Central America, residents of these 
nations will have a stake in their future and a strong fiscal incentive 
to remain in their native country.
  DR-CAFTA is in our national security interests. Our foreign policy 
must promote stability and prosperity in Central America. As we saw in 
the 1980's, instability can give nations who do not share our interests 
an opportunity to expand their influence in our hemisphere. To promote 
stability, we should reward democracies that respect human rights and 
encourage free market economic principles. DR-CAFTA is consistent with 
this goal. As these evolving democracies continue to grow, we will see 
their economic viability strengthened, thereby creating jobs and 
reducing poverty.
  Some have expressed concern that DR-CAFTA will weaken labor laws, 
leaving workers in this region without basic protections. This is 
simply not true. The International Labor Organization (ILO) has 
reviewed the labor laws and practices of the six DR-CAFTA countries and 
found them largely in compliance with the ILO's eight core conventions. 
With the exception of El Salvador--which has ratified six--every other 
nation covered by DR-CAFTA has enacted the eight core conventions. In 
fact, if you look at the labor provisions of other recently enacted 
free trade agreements, such as the Jordan and Morocco agreements, you 
will find that the DR-CAFTA labor provisions are more stringent and 
ensure greater protections for workers.
  Over 95 percent of the world's consumers live outside our borders, 
and it is in our best interests to pursue a policy that opens these 
markets to American products. If we fail, we forfeit these markets--
both from an economic and national security standpoint--to our 
international competitors in Asia and Europe.
  DR-CAFTA will level the playing field for American farmers and 
manufacturers and help address an important national security goal. 
This is a win-win situation. I urge my colleagues to join me in 
supporting this vital agreement.

                          ____________________