[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 152 (Wednesday, October 12, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1834]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 H.R. 3078 COLOMBIA FREE TRADE AGREEMENT, H.R. 3079 PANAMA FREE TRADE 
 AGREEMENT, H.R. 3080 SOUTH KOREA FREE TRADE AGREEMENT, H.R. 2832 TAA 
                           AND GSP EXTENSION

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. BETTY McCOLLUM

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, October 12, 2011

  Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to the three 
trade agreements this House is considering with Colombia, Panama, and 
South Korea, respectively. At a time when our national unemployment 
rate is at 9.1 percent, with 14 million Americans looking for work, we 
cannot afford to pass trade agreements that cost jobs here in the 
United States. Instead, I urge my colleagues to bring a real jobs 
bill--one that will create jobs for American workers--to the floor of 
the House immediately.
  America depends on trade with countries around the world to expand 
export markets for our products and create good-paying jobs in the U.S. 
To achieve fair trade, agreements must not export U.S. jobs or 
economically harm communities. We must insist that all trade agreements 
promote environmental sustainability, workers' rights, and improved 
living standards for people throughout the world. The negotiated trade 
agreements with Colombia, Panama, and South Korea do not meet the 
standard of fair trade agreements and will leave Americans worse off. I 
do not support their passage.
  In Colombia, the intimidation and murder of trade unionists and human 
rights workers is widespread. According to Human Rights Watch, over 50 
trade unionists were murdered last year. The Colombian government's 
human rights record may be improving but it is still very poor. This is 
not the time to reward Colombia's poor record with a preferential trade 
arrangement. This agreement does not advance fair trade, and I urge my 
colleagues to vote against it.
  The proposed free trade agreement with Panama fails to create any 
American jobs. Widely known as a tax haven for multinational 
corporations, Panama has not shown the inclination or ability to change 
its status as an off-shore tax shelter. This practice rewards U.S. 
companies that ship jobs overseas to avoid taxation here. This 
agreement does not advance fair trade, and I urge my colleagues to vote 
against it.
  In South Korea, between 2001 and 2009, the U.S. ran a trade deficit 
in goods of approximately $125 billion. The Economic Policy Institute 
found that implementation of the Korea trade deal would increase U.S. 
trade deficit by $16.7 billion and result in 159,000 American jobs lost 
over the next seven years. According to Public Citizen, almost 8,000 
good-paying jobs would be lost in the 4th Congressional District of 
Minnesota. This agreement does not advance fair trade, and I urge my 
colleagues to vote against it.
  As we've seen with free trade agreements with China, NAFTA, and 
CAFTA, unfair trade deals cost American jobs. This is why Trade 
Adjustment Assistance, TAA, exists--to provide training to workers who 
lose their jobs due to trade. Considering TAA while we consider these 
three agreements is evidence that these deals result in the loss of 
jobs here in the U.S. I support the passage of the needed TM extension, 
H.R. 2832, in order to provide some protections for American workers.
  For these reasons, I urge my colleagues to oppose these unfair trade 
deals and support the badly-needed extensions of TAA.

                          ____________________