[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 3]
[House]
[Page 3562]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  CREATING AMERICAN JOBS THROUGH TRADE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Boustany) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BOUSTANY. Mr. Speaker, tomorrow Ambassador Kirk will meet behind 
closed doors with the House Ways and Means Committee. While I 
appreciate the meeting, why do congressional Democrats refuse to talk 
in the open about creating jobs through international trade? I am 
encouraged by the administration's newfound openness to promoting 
American goods and services overseas, but the current situation is 
bleak. Nearly one in 10 Americans who want work cannot find a job.
  The recent economic downturn erased the certainty many families came 
to rely on, and now they turn to Washington for solutions. 
Unfortunately, a health care overhaul with new mandates, energy taxes 
that will drive up input costs, and a massive Tax Code full of quirks 
and loopholes add to their doubts. To truly grow American jobs, 
entrepreneurs and businesses need new markets where they can compete to 
sell their products. We must restore American competitiveness to create 
new jobs and a prosperous future.
  With 95 percent of the world's consumers living outside the United 
States, our ability to compete fairly and successfully in these markets 
is vital to our long-term economic growth and security. As the 
President said last week, ``We need to compete for those customers 
because other nations are competing for them.''
  Today almost one in five U.S. jobs is supported by international 
trade. I welcome President Obama's lofty goal of doubling U.S. exports 
in the next 5 years through his National Export Initiative, and I look 
forward to discussing his plans with Ambassador Kirk.
  As our economy continues to struggle, it is evident Americans will 
not be able to consume their way out of this recession, so we must 
focus on getting our products and services to emerging markets around 
the world. American ingenuity, creativity, and innovation can spur new 
jobs and new factories all right here at home.
  According to the Obama administration, increasing trade by merely 1 
percent would create 250,000 jobs, a significant start to helping 
Americans find work. Passing the Colombia, Panama, and South Korea Free 
Trade Agreements would accomplish just that, increasing our trade 
exports by 1 percent and creating an estimated 250,000 Americans jobs. 
These free trade agreements put American workers on a fair footing with 
workers in those countries instead of alienating our global trading 
partners through narrow-minded policies such as Buy American.
  Now American-produced goods face substantial tariffs in Colombia, 
Panama, and South Korea, while many goods produced in those countries 
have no tariff at all when sold to the U.S. The President's goal is 
ambitious, so passing these three free trade agreements is an important 
first step to restoring American competitiveness in global markets.
  The last time the U.S. doubled its exports, it took nearly 10 years: 
final implementation of the North American Free Trade Agreement, nine 
bilateral free trade agreements, and the successful conclusion of the 
Uruguay Round. Since 1994, Louisiana has increased its exports to NAFTA 
countries by 271 percent. As a result, thousands of Louisiana workers 
have job stability, but we can do much more.
  Trade creates good-paying jobs for millions of Americans, and 
leveling the playing field abroad increases our opportunities. Truly 
supporting American workers and creating new jobs will not be 
accomplished by closing our doors to the rest of the world while they 
continue to strike new deals and expand their exports. Now is the time 
to reach and to work with our allies and major trading partners. 
American leadership is in jeopardy, not because of a rising power but 
because of a shrinking level of American engagement. The world will not 
wait for us to wake up and realize the opportunities out there. That is 
why we need to act on expanding these trade agreements.

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