[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2008, Book I)]
[April 21, 2008]
[Pages 543-546]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]
Remarks at a United States Chamber of Commerce Reception in New Orleans
April 21, 2008
I want to thank the band for giving me a chance to relive my youth.
[Laughter] I've had many a fine day here in New Orleans and a pretty
good night too. [Laughter] And it's great to be back. I want to thank
the U.S. Chamber for hosting this reception in honor of the North
American Leaders' Summit between Canada, the United States, and Mexico.
And for all of you here from Canada and Mexico, welcome to New Orleans,
one of America's greatest cities.
I chose to host this summit in New Orleans for a variety of reasons,
one of which is, for centuries, this city has been a place where
commerce and culture from across the globe have come together, one of
the really great international cities in the United States. And once
again, New Orleans now steps on the international scene, where it should
be.
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I want to thank Tom for hosting the
deal, and I want to thank all the members of the U.S. Chamber for being
here tonight. I thank members of the North American Competitiveness
Council for being here--looking forward to meeting with you in the
morning.
I want to thank the Governor of
the great State of Louisiana, Bobby Jindal, and the first lady for being here. My old buddy the mayor--Mayor
Nagin is here. Mr. Mayor, it's great to see
you. We have spent some quality time together--[laughter]--including on
the deck of the USS Iwo Jima; yes, nonalcohol beer for me. [Laughter]
I thank all the State and local officials. I particularly want to
say thanks to the Senators from Louisiana for joining us today. Mary Landrieu--thanks
for coming, Senator. David Vitter--Senator, it's good to have you here.
Thanks for coming. Congressman William
Jefferson--thanks for being here, Jeff. Appreciate you being here. I
thank the--thanks for coming.
One thing is for certain: New Orleans has come a long way since
Hurricane Katrina hit. It--and we've tried to do our part at the Federal
level. We spent over $120 billion to help the Gulf Coast recover. The
money has helped rebuild a school system, a dilapidated school system,
that is now better than before. The money has helped improve the
criminal justice system. The money has helped to rebuild highways. The
money has helped to strengthen storm surge protection systems so people
can feel comfortable living here.
New Orleans faces immense challenges. There's still a lot of work to
be done. But there's a lot of hope in this city. I mean, you can see it
in the face of the teachers. You can see hope in the jobs that are being
created. There's a lot of entrepreneurial spirit in New Orleans. You can
see hope in the fact that people are absolutely determined to rebuild
this city better than it was before.
And so for all of you who have contributed to New Orleans's
resurgence, I want to thank you on behalf of a grateful nation.
This is an important summit. It gives three friends a chance to come
together to discuss our commitment to security and prosperity. It's a
chance to reconfirm the need for the three of us to work in harmony
together for the good of our peoples. It's a chance to talk about how we
can best protect our people and extend prosperity. And one of the best
ways to do that is through trade.
The people of Louisiana understand the benefits of trade firsthand.
While many sectors of the economy were hit hard by Katrina, exports were
a source of strength. And they continue to be in the years since. I
don't know if a lot of people know this, but exports from Louisiana
surpassed $30 billion in the year 2007; that would be $30 billion for
the first time ever. And a lot of these exports come through New
Orleans, which is a source for jobs and hope.
And the fundamental question is, will we continue to be a nation
that believes in free and fair trade? Canada and Mexico are our two most
important trading partners. Since the North American Free Trade
Agreement took effect, an agreement I strongly support, trade between
the United States, Mexico, and Canada has more than tripled, and our
economies have grown by more than 50 percent.
One of the challenges for the North American Competitiveness Council
is to find unnecessary regulations that prohibit the free flow of trade.
And so tomorrow the leaders at the Council will come forth with specific
recommendations. And I'm looking forward to hearing them, and I'm
looking forward to implementing them.
The United States has an opportunity to continue a trading agenda.
As a matter of fact, we have an opportunity with three important
countries: Colombia, South Korea, and Panama. Interestingly enough, all
3 of these countries are among Louisiana's top 10 foreign markets for
exports.
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These agreements will be good for New Orleans's workers and businesses.
And the mayor recognized that. He wrote a
leader to our Speaker--or wrote a letter to our
Speaker, who is the leader in the Congress, and here's what he said:
``Each of the future free trade agreements would provide unique
opportunities for the city of New Orleans to increase international
economic development.''
Unfortunately, we had a setback in a very important free trade
agreement with Colombia. The Speaker made a
decision to block the free trade agreement. It's unfortunate decision,
and the deal is dead unless she changes her mind. And that's bad for
American workers, and it's bad for our security, and it's bad for the
people here in New Orleans, Louisiana.
The economic argument for free trade with Colombia is very clear.
Almost all Colombian products now enter America duty free, yet many of
our products face steep tariffs in Colombia. Now think about that. All I
suggest is that we level the playing field, that we be treated just like
we treat others. Our products into Colombia face a tax, a tariff, which
makes them more expensive. It makes it harder for our small businesses
and farmers to be able to sell into Colombia, yet their products come
here virtually duty free. And so by approving this deal, it will level
the playing field, but more importantly, it will help our entrepreneurs
and help our workers.
There's another cost because of congressional inaction, and that is,
Colombia is one of our strongest allies in our neighborhood. And it's
important to support our friends. And it's important to send a clear
message that we stand for rule of law and democracy, which is precisely
what President Uribe believes in. He's
fighting these terrorists and these narcotraffickers. He has
strengthened the rule of law. He's protecting his labor leaders. He is a
strong, solid leader.
Yet if we turn down this deal or if this deal does not go forward,
it would send a variety of messages: One, America can't be counted on to
stand next to its friends; two, it will embolden the voices of false
populism in our neighborhood; and three, it will make it harder for
President Uribe to do what is necessary
to make sure Colombia is a safe place for people to live. I fully
understand that this is a tough political vote for some, but it's about
time America sets aside petty politics and focuses on doing what's right
for the United States of America.
So thanks for letting me come by, and thanks for hosting this very
important meeting. I am confident the Prime Minister of Canada and the President of Mexico will really enjoy their stays in New Orleans. They
will find what I have found, that it's a city not only of good food,
good cheer, but it's a city of really fine people. God bless.
Note: The President spoke at 6:36 p.m. at Gallier Hall. In his remarks,
he referred to Thomas J. Donohue, president and chief executive officer,
U.S. Chamber of Commerce; Supriya Jindal, wife of Gov. Piyush ``Bobby''
Jindal of Louisiana; Mayor C. Ray Nagin of New Orleans, LA; Prime
Minister Stephen Harper of Canada; and President Felipe de Jesus
Calderon Hinojosa of Mexico.
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