    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2002, Book I)]
    [April 27, 2002]
    [Pages 673-674]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    The President's Radio Address
    April 27, 2002

        Good morning. This week, Americans had some good news about strong
    growth in our economy, yet we cannot be content or complacent. Job
    creation and business investment are still not what they should be. We
    want short-term recovery to become long-term expansion. And one of the
    best ways to encourage high-paying jobs and long-term growth is expanded
    trade.
        I'm pleased that the United States Senate is set to begin an
    important debate on trade legislation that will help American workers
    and farmers and consumers. I have traveled around the country and seen
    the value of trade, and foreign leaders have told me how trade will
    strengthen security and economic growth in our hemisphere.
        The benefits of greater trade are beyond dispute. During the 1990s,
    U.S. exporters generated about one-quarter of our economic growth
    through the sale of American goods abroad. Trade boosts our productivity
    and creates higher paying jobs. The latest global trade agreement and
    NAFTA have improved the average standard of living for an American
    family of four by up to $2,000 a year.
        Now is the time to build on this record of success. The Senate
    should pass the pending trade legislation without delay. Trade promotion
    authority would give me the flexibility to negotiate with other
    countries to open their markets and get the best deals for American
    producers and workers. Congress would still have the final up-or-down
    vote on any trade agreement. The previous five Presidents have had this
    authority; it expired 8 years ago. And since then, America has
    sacrificed its traditional leadership role in trade.
        For two decades, trade promotion authority was a bipartisan
    commitment. It was a commitment because it represented our national
    interest in expanding foreign markets. More than 150 trade agreements
    exist throughout the world. The European Union is party to 31 of them
    and Mexico to 10. The United States is party to just three. Passage of
    the TPA will give America's entrepreneurs and workers and farmers and
    ranchers a fair shot at the markets of the world.
        The Andean Trade Preference Act is a good example of how trade can
    also help increase the security of America. Over the past 10 years, this
    law has given the four Andean nations more access to our markets, which
    they report has created 140,000 jobs. The law has also helped provide an
    economic alternative to the production of drugs. We need to renew and
    expand the Andean Trade Preference Act as soon as possible. If we fail
    to act before May 16th, 90 days worth of import duties will come due,
    raising prices for American consumers and hampering the region's
    economic development.
        I recognize that some American workers may face adjustment
    challenges as a result of trade. I support helping these workers by
    reauthorizing and improving trade adjustment assistance programs that
    will give workers impacted by trade new skills, help

    [[Page 674]]

    them find new jobs quickly, and provide them with financial assistance.
        Nearly 5 months have passed since the House of Representatives
    approved trade promotion authority and the Andean trade legislation.
    Every day we go without expanding trade is another day of missed
    opportunities to strengthen our economy.
        The Senate must act and affirm America's trade leadership in a
    bipartisan manner. We cannot let this initiative fall victim to partisan
    politics. Our trading partners are waiting for us. American workers are
    depending on us. And America cannot afford further delay.
        Thank you for listening.

    Note: The address was recorded at 6 p.m. on April 25 at the Bush Ranch
    in Crawford, TX, for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on April 27. The transcript
    was made available by the Office of the Press Secretary on April 26 but
    was embargoed for release until the broadcast. The Office of the Press
    Secretary also released a Spanish language transcript of this address.