[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.