[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 60 (Tuesday, April 27, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H2879-H2880]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                               FREE TRADE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Dreier) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. DREIER. Madam Speaker, we are all encouraged by the positive news 
that we have been receiving about the economic recovery which appears 
to be underway. I think it's very clear that with the report that came 
from the CMS at the end of last week, the dramatic increase in spending 
and the regulatory vision that is proposed, that the economic recovery 
that we're going through at this moment is in spite of, not because of, 
policies emanating from here in Washington, D.C.
  Madam Speaker, when we were privileged to have the President of the 
United States stand in this Chamber and deliver his State of the Union 
message, one of the things that he talked about was the goal of job 
creation. We of course have seen signs of economic recovery, but the 
unemployment rate is still just below 10 percent nationwide. In my 
State of California, it is in excess of 12 percent, and there are 
people who are hurting.
  When the President stood here right behind where I am now, Madam 
Speaker, just in front of you and delivered his State of the 
Union message, he talked about the importance of opening up new markets 
around the world. He talked about the fact that 95 percent of the 
world's consumers are outside of our borders, and we could create good 
jobs for American workers if we were to proceed with the plan for free 
trade agreements that have been pending.
  Well, Madam Speaker, 1,253 days ago, an agreement was signed between 
the United States of America and the Government of Colombia to open up 
the market so that we could see jobs created for workers at 
Caterpillar, John Deere, Whirlpool, and other very important industries 
right here in the United States. It is 1,253 days since that measure 
has been signed, and in that same period of time we have seen $2.7 
billion in tariffs imposed on products made by U.S. workers going to 
Colombia.
  Madam Speaker, if we want to create good private sector jobs, we need 
to unleash the potential, reducing the constraints that have been 
imposed on U.S. workers.
  Two hundred and eleven years ago this month, the author of the U.S. 
Constitution became a Member of Congress, James Madison. Representative 
Madison, on April 9 of 1789 stood

[[Page H2880]]

in the House of Representatives and said the following. He said, I own 
myself to be a friend of a free system of commerce and hold it as truth 
that commercial shackles are generally unjust, oppressive, and 
impolitic. Madison went on to say, Madam Speaker, that this is more 
true than the wisdom of the most enlightened legislature.
  Now, as it comes to job creation and economic growth in 2010, it 
seems to me that looking back to what was said 211 years ago by 
Representative James Madison about unleashing the shackles that exist 
to the free flow of commerce could create great opportunities for U.S. 
workers.
  And so, Madam Speaker, while I congratulate the President for the 
words that he provided to us in his State of the Union message about 
the benefits of opening up new markets around the world, after 1,253 
days since it has been signed, I urge the President to send to the 
United States Congress that measure because I believe that, in this 
election year especially, people want to focus on job creation and 
economic growth, and I am convinced that we would have a strong 
bipartisan vote in support of that very important measure.

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