[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 5]
[House]
[Pages 6550-6551]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    BIPARTISAN TRADE PRIORITIES ACT

  (Mr. SMITH of Nebraska asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Speaker, given the fact that 95 percent of 
consumers live outside our borders, the U.S. must continue to pursue 
trade opportunities. The U.S. actually had a trade surplus with our 20 
trade agreement partners in 2012.
  Trade agreements expand opportunities and fuel competition, which 
benefits consumers and can strengthen and protect American interests 
around the world. Though trade agreements make sense strategically and 
economically,

[[Page 6551]]

some nations, however, are not playing by the rules.
  Barriers to agriculture are the most pressing issue for my home State 
of Nebraska, but every industry is subjected to outdated tariffs and 
nonscientific barriers which countries fashion to protect their own 
domestic industries.
  If the U.S. fails to lead, our exports will be placed at a 
competitive disadvantage to those from countries moving forward with 
aggressive trade agendas. To enhance U.S. leverage in the marketplace, 
we need to pass the Bipartisan Trade Priorities Act. By renewing this 
act, we would demonstrate seriousness about formulating enforceable, 
science-based rules and empower the rest of the world to follow suit.

                          ____________________