[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 4]
[House]
[Page 4643]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              PASS THE U.S.-COLOMBIA FREE TRADE AGREEMENT

  (Mr. RYAN of Wisconsin asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. RYAN of Wisconsin. Madam Speaker, if there was ever an equivalent 
of what we call a no-brainer in Congress, it is the Colombian Free 
Trade Agreement. Congress needs to bring this to the floor and pass 
this agreement. Why? Colombia already has free access to the U.S. 
market, but we don't have access to their market. Let me say that 
again. They already have free access to United States markets. We ought 
to be able to get the same fair trade in their market.
  Number two, Colombia is our ally in fighting the drug trade. It is a 
democracy that is in a tough neighborhood that is helping us defeat the 
narcoterrorists, helping us cut off the drugs.
  I had the pleasure of going to Colombia 3 weeks ago to see the 
progress, to see the democracy, to see the things they are doing to 
help individuals, to demilitarize the narcoterrorists and the 
paramilitary organizations. Colombia is lifting up their people from 
poverty. They are helping us in a difficult neighborhood.
  More important, for our Wisconsin soybean growers, corn growers, 
dairy producers and manufacturers, it will create more jobs in 
Wisconsin because we will be able to sell more of our products to 
Colombia if they treat us like we are treating them. That is why we 
should pass the free trade agreement with Colombia.

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