[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 58 (Monday, April 14, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2958-S2959]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     COLOMBIAN FREE TRADE AGREEMENT

  Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I have been listening to my friend and 
colleague, Senator Wyden, talk, and I am going to study his bill. It 
sounds like it is an answer to a long overdue problem and one that, as 
he said, is a train wreck getting ready to happen. This is something we 
ought to be able to work on in a bipartisan fashion, and I look forward 
to studying his proposal.
  I want to spend just a few minutes talking about another important 
issue when it comes to our economy and job creation, and that is the 
Colombian Free Trade Agreement, which the Speaker of the House, last 
week, said she would not allow to come to the floor of the House of 
Representatives. It now remains indefinite as to when, if ever, that 
free-trade agreement would be allowed to come to the floor.
  It is very important for the public to understand that this is more 
than just about free trade. It does, not coincidentally, create a 
market in Colombia for about $2.3 billion in goods and farm commodities 
sold by the State of Texas into Colombia. And because of a previous 
Andean Free Trade Agreement, actually Colombian goods coming into the 
United States bear no duty or tariff, but goods made or grown in Texas 
or throughout the United States currently bear a duty that would be 
eliminated by this Colombian Free Trade Agreement.
  Now, that is important because it creates jobs and opportunity in the 
United States. It levels the playing field, and it creates a situation 
where Colombia and the United States can become equal partners when it 
comes to commerce and international trade.
  But this is important for many other reasons. Because of the war on 
terror, much of our attention recently, of course, has been focused on 
the Middle East. But we must be careful not to neglect other parts of 
the world that are also very important to U.S. security and our 
economic prosperity, and that is particularly the case in our own 
hemisphere. Not the least of these important regions is one of the 
closest to us; that is, Latin America. Unfortunately, Latin America's 
close proximity hasn't always translated into close ties and 
friendships. We have seen firsthand and heard firsthand how some Latin 
American leaders--most notably Hugo Chavez of Venezuela--have taken 
strong stances against the United States. That is one reason it is so 
important we embrace wholeheartedly our friends and allies and partners 
in the region.
  Countries that share our focus on freedom and democracy and work with 
us to fight against terrorism and the spread of narcotics need our 
support to counter those who support, tacitly or otherwise, the spread 
of hateful anti-American ideology and militant extremism and criminal 
drug cartels. We must remember, if we do not stand with our friends, if 
we do not stay involved in Latin America, someone else will.
  Already, nations such as China and Iran have dramatically increased 
their alliances and influence within the region. Not long ago, 
President Ahmadinejad of Iran toured Latin America, strengthening 
Iran's ties to the likes of Hugo Chavez and leaders of the terrorist 
group known as FARC.
  Not long ago, I met with the commander of the U.S. Southern Command, 
the U.S. military official who is in charge of that region from the 
standpoint of the Department of Defense, Admiral James Stavridis, and I 
talked with him about current issues, current developments, and 
challenges that our Nation faces in his area of responsibility, which 
includes Latin

[[Page S2959]]

America. He made it very clear to me that there is a real threat of the 
spread of terrorism in Latin America. A major component of that threat 
that remains is this so-called Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, 
or FARC, in short.
  It is noteworthy that recently, when Colombian forces tracked down 
FARC rebels who happened to be across the border in Ecuador, they 
confiscated not only some computers, but they were able to confiscate 
66 pounds of uranium in the hands of the FARC in Latin America. That is 
something that ought to cause all of us pause, and ask a lot of 
questions--for what purpose did they have 66 pounds of uranium in Latin 
America?

  The FARC continues to carry out terrorist attacks throughout the 
region, which has caused the death of numerous innocent Colombians. 
They finance their terrorist activities through two of the most 
despicable forms of criminal activity imaginable--kidnapping and 
selling deadly drugs. Worst of all, the FARC continues to find 
sanctuary from Colombian prosecution inside neighboring countries such 
as Venezuela. If we do not stand firmly behind Colombia, we will see 
the advance of both terrorist organizations in Latin America and the 
smuggling of illegal drugs into the United States.
  If drug smuggling were not enough to convince us of the need to 
support our friends and allies in Colombia, we should consider the 
potential boost to terrorist organizations throughout the world that 
might otherwise occur. Through lessons leaned in the poppy fields of 
Afghanistan, we have been made painfully aware that the drug trade 
often finances global terrorism. Without a strong ally in Colombia to 
fight the expansion of drug cartels and terrorist-backed drug trade, 
global terrorism will find new financial roots from which to grow and 
carry out its murderous plans.
  I have had the privilege of traveling to Colombia and meeting with 
President Uribe personally. He affirmed to me his commitment to 
fighting back against illegal drugs and terrorism in his own country, 
and he expressed a sincere desire to continue to work closely with the 
United States.
  We have a chance now to further solidify that purpose with our best 
ally in Latin America. The Colombian people have heard the call to 
democracy and freedom and they are taking it seriously. We owe it to 
them and we owe it to ourselves to demonstrate that the United States 
is a nation they can depend on.
  While there is no doubt that more can be done to fully cement the 
principles of equality and justice, their commitment to the very same 
principles and rights we hold dear in this country is undeniable. The 
Colombian people deserve our firm support and it is time for the United 
States to enter into a free trade agreement with them.
  As I mentioned last year, Texas led the Nation in exports to 
Colombia. Even with damaging Colombian tariffs, Texas manufacturers and 
farmers sold $2.3 billion worth of products to that nation. This 
agreement will remove those tariffs and allow Texas manufacturers and 
producers to sell even more goods to this large and growing market. 
When this market is open, employers will be able to hire more Texans to 
work in good, high-paying jobs, right here at home.
  I might add, at a time when we are concerned about immigration into 
the United States by people who cannot find work where they live, this 
is another way for us to deal with our border security issues and our 
broken immigration system, by creating trading partners who are able to 
create jobs in Latin America so people do not have to come to the 
United States to find hope and opportunity.
  Already, Colombia has been granted one-way preferential access to our 
markets. That country has added jobs to keep pace with growing trade in 
the United States and now it is time to bring it full circle. This 
agreement will implement two-way trade and it will level the playing 
field for our own manufacturers and exporters and create jobs right 
here at home. At a time when our economy has suffered a bit of a 
downturn, it strikes me as something desirable, to look for ways to 
bolster, indeed increase, jobs right here at home. This free trade 
agreement would be one way to do that.
  Open trade helps boost the economy and it is an essential ingredient 
to the growth of businesses, jobs, and our economy in general. But 
despite the numerous positive aspects to this agreement with Colombia, 
some of my colleagues continue to fight against it. In any other 
setting, it would be comical to lay side by side their complaints 
against this partnership with their vows to work with foreign 
governments, to supposedly improve our image in the world. While many 
of those on the left have vowed to work with enemies such as Hugo 
Chavez and sit down with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, they balk at the prospect 
of strengthening ties and working with our greater Latin American ally. 
How ironic indeed. It would seem their willingness to pander to some 
supersedes their desire to restore our image internationally. Shouldn't 
we be more willing to work with our friends and allies than our 
enemies?
  Now, more than a year after the President first began working with 
Congress on this agreement, and 90 days away from our scheduled recess, 
the majority is outraged. Speaker Pelosi particularly is outraged that 
this agreement is on the fast track and the President actually asked 
they vote on the agreement. It is sometimes comically tragic to compare 
the work we do here in Washington with the jobs ordinary Americans do 
every day. Only in Congress would a 3-month deadline not be enough to 
finish a project that started about a year ago.
  I hope the Speaker of the House will reconsider and not take the 
Colombian free trade agreement with all of its ramifications as merely 
a negotiating chip she can use against other projects in which she is 
interested. We have seen that happen already with the Foreign 
Intelligence Act modernization. The failure of the House to pass that 
bill has left us literally deaf to emerging terrorist activity that 
cannot be monitored because of the failure to pass the Foreign 
Intelligence Surveillance Act. Why the Speaker of the House would 
compound that mistake and add insult to injury now by sticking a thumb 
in the eye of one of our greatest trading partners and allies in Latin 
America frankly escapes me.
  I hope she will reconsider. This free trade agreement is in the best 
interests of the United States. It will help create jobs here at home 
during a time of a softening economy. It will allow us to have a closer 
working partnership with one of our best allies in the region and to 
demonstrate to the likes of Hugo Chavez and Raoul Castro that being a 
friend to America produces some reward, which is closer economic ties 
and a better quality of life and security for all.
  I yield the floor.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Tennessee is 
recognized.

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