[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 23 (Tuesday, February 28, 2006)]
[House]
[Page H417]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
NATIONAL SECURITY AND OUR TRADE AGREEMENTS
(Mr. BROWN of Ohio asked and was given permission to address the
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I applaud the House Republican
leadership for finally standing up to the President and saying no on
this agreement, this $6.8 billion contract with the company from the
United Arab Emirates.
The problem, however, is more fundamental than just stopping this
one. It is what happens with national security in our trade agreements.
We are in the middle of negotiating a trade agreement with the United
Arab Emirates. If this trade agreement had already been signed, we
could not back out of this deal with this United Arab Emirates country.
It would be an unfair trade practice.
The administration and the Congress have it exactly backwards. Before
signing trade agreements, before negotiating a new trade agreement, we
need a provision to address national security concerns first. That
means a review about all the implications of national security before
we sign these trade agreements. That is why I am introducing
legislation tonight to do just that.
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