[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2008, Book I)]
[January 23, 2008]
[Pages 107-108]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks During a Briefing With Mayors on Free Trade Agreements
January 23, 2008

    I'm so honored that mayors from around our country have come. First 
of all, I want to thank you all very much for serving. I've often said 
being mayor is a lot tougher than being President--I don't have to fill 
the potholes and empty the garbage. [Laughter] But I thank you for 
serving our country.
    We've got mayors from both political parties here. We didn't have a 
political discussion; we had a discussion on what's best for America, 
particularly given the economic uncertainty we face. I talked to them 
about my desire to work with the Congress to get a stimulus package 
passed, one that's going to be robust enough to affect the economy, 
simple enough for people to understand it, and efficient enough to have 
an impact. And I'm confident that we can get something done. There's a 
spirit of--that is--that says, we need to take a fundamentally strong 
economy and help it with a--deal with the uncertainties with a progrowth 
package.
    One way we can also send a message that we can--want to continue to 
grow is to open up markets for U.S. products and services. We were 
talking about these trade votes that are coming up in front of the 
Congress and the importance of getting markets opened up for our workers 
and entrepreneurs. These trade agreements that we're about to vote on--
there are goods coming from their countries coming to our country 
relatively tariff free; our goods and services going to their country 
with a tariff on it. In other words, they're not treating us the way 
we're treating them.
    The American people expect us to be--expect America to be treated 
fairly, and that's what these free trade agreements do. It certainly 
doesn't make any sense to say in a country like Colombia, your goods can 
come in our way, but our goods can't come your way--being treated the 
same way. And by opening up markets, by having us treated fairly, we'll 
have 100 million new customers. And I like that opportunity for American 
workers and farmers and

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businesspeople. See, I believe we can compete with anybody, anywhere, so 
long as the rules are fair.
    And so these mayors who are living close to the people understand 
that by opening up markets, businesses in their communities and workers 
in their communities will benefit. And I want to thank you all for 
coming. We have a good opportunity to get the deal done, and I'm looking 
forward to working with Congress to get these packages passed. These are 
progrowth, and they're good for America. And thanks for giving Secretary 
Gutierrez and I a chance to visit with 
you.
    Thank you.

Note: The President spoke at 1:45 p.m. in the Roosevelt Room at the 
White House.