[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 44 (Tuesday, March 13, 2018)]
[House]
[Page H1511]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                TARIFFS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Arrington) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. ARRINGTON. Mr. Speaker, the year 1776 marked a turning point not 
only in American history, but in human history. While brave patriots 
here in America were affirming their right to equal representation and, 
ultimately, revolution, a Scottish philosopher named Adam Smith was 
revolutionizing the way we think about economics.
  ``The Wealth of Nations'' was the book he wrote where he extolled the 
virtues of free markets and free trade, showing how all benefit from 
robust competition and an open marketplace.
  Mr. Speaker, because of tax cuts and regulatory reform, returning to 
freer markets in this country, we have this economy off high center and 
growing at a rate we haven't seen in over a decade. While some of my 
friends across the aisle would like to dispute this, the results speak 
for themselves.
  Just last month our economy added over 300,000 new jobs and over 
800,000 people joined the labor force, the largest 1-month jump in over 
30 years. Mr. Speaker, people are looking for work, and they are 
finding work.
  With the stock market, business, consumer confidence, and the labor 
participation rate at all-time highs and the unemployment at a 50-year 
low, the last thing that we need and want to do is impose a new kind of 
government intervention to diminish the great economic progress we have 
made.
  I am concerned, Mr. Speaker, that these tariffs that the White House 
and others have talked about, if not appropriately targeted, could do 
this and could have unintended, negative consequences on the American 
economy, on American consumers, and on hardworking American families.
  The Texas delegation has a unique stake in this issue. For 16 
consecutive years, Texas has been the top exporting State in the 
country with over $264 billion in exports for 2017. So trade policy has 
a significant impact on our constituents. That is why last week my 
colleagues and I sent a letter authored by Ways and Means Chairman 
Kevin Brady to the President urging him to take a more measured and 
surgical approach in imposing tariffs. And I am glad it looks like that 
the White House and the President have heard and have heeded our pleas.
  I believe in free trade, Mr. Speaker. I believe in open global 
markets. And it has improved standard of living for everyone. However, 
free trade only works if everybody plays by the same rules; that is, 
free trade and fair trade go hand in hand. For years, China has been 
gaming the system by dumping their product, infringing on our 
intellectual property rights, manipulating their currency, and 
circumventing trade agreements for years.
  President Trump was right to call them out. He was right to hold them 
accountable. I am confident that we can work with the White House so 
that tariffs ensure fair competition and protect our national security 
interests while also making sure we don't harm consumers here at home.

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