[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 14]
[House]
[Page 18955]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               CHILE AND SINGAPORE FREE TRADE AGREEMENTS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the order of the House of 
January 7, 2003, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Sessions) is recognized 
during morning hour debates for 4 minutes.
  Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of the Singapore 
free trade agreement with the United States. This week we will be 
debating and voting on the free trade agreements with Chile and 
Singapore. I stand in support of these because I believe that these 
agreements will not only nurture our friendship and relationship with 
these great nations, but also will be in the best interests of the 
United States.
  In terms of direct economic benefits, there are three broad areas 
that I believe in particular the United States will gain benefit from 
with this free trade agreement with Singapore: goods, services, and 
intellectual property.
  Mr. Speaker, the United States of America is friends with Singapore, 
and we value the relationship we have. The relationship with 
Singapore's ambassador to the United States and also our relationship 
with Singapore is one that needs to be strengthened and nurtured. By 
signing this free trade agreement, we are going to bring into play the 
opportunity for America and Singapore, who we already share so many 
good things in context with from business relationships, but we are 
going to codify this free trade agreement around the ability we have in 
our legal systems to not only work together and agree with the 
differences that we may have, but to be able to do business in an ever-
increasing small world, a world where the things that we do here in the 
United States are the things that are done in Singapore, and to make 
sure these difference are resolved properly.
  Intellectual property is one of the key components of the 
intelligence and strength of this country, and I believe that this free 
trade agreement will allow the free flow of not only intellectual 
property but the things that come as a result of that. This agreement 
updates also Singapore's intellectual property laws, and as was noted 
by Thomas Lipscomb on June 10 in the Wall Street Journal, 
``Entertainment content is now America's largest export, and 
information is the basis of more than half of our gross domestic 
product.''
  Mr. Speaker, I will tell Members that this free trade agreement with 
Singapore is going to be one that will benefit Singapore and the great 
people of this Nation. I stand in support of this free trade agreement. 
It is about jobs, about intellectual property, it is about goods and 
services. It is about a relationship with one of America's greatest 
trading partners and allies, Singapore.

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