[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 41, Number 31 (Monday, August 8, 2005)]
[Pages 1241-1243]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks on Signing the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States 
Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act

August 2, 2005

    Thanks for the warm welcome. Welcome to the White House. Last week, 
Congress passed the Central American-Dominican Republic Free Trade 
Agreement. I want to thank the Republicans and Democrats who came 
together to support this important agreement. The bill I'm about to sign 
is good for America. I'm pleased that Congress has taken a step to 
eliminate the barriers to America's goods and crops to 44 million 
customers.
    I welcome the opportunity to make our Nation more secure by 
strengthening our ties with democracies that share our belief in free 
markets and free government. I appreciate the vision and leadership of 
Bob Zoellick and Rob Portman and the many others who worked hard to get 
this agreement passed. I want to thank the Secretary of State, Condi 
Rice, for the outstanding job she's doing on behalf of the American 
people. I want to thank Secretary Mike Johanns from the Department of 
Agriculture for joining us. And Stephanie, thank you for being here. I 
appreciate Secretary Carlos Gutierrez of the Department of Commerce for 
his good work.
    We're honored to be joined by the chairman of the Senate Foreign 
Relations Committee, Dick Lugar. I appreciate you coming, Senator. I'm 
honored you're here. Senator Norm Coleman, who is the chairman of the 
Foreign Relations Committee, Western Hemisphere Subcommittee. I 
appreciate Congressman Clay Shaw, who is the chairman of the House Ways 
and Means Trade Subcommittee. I'm honored that these three Members of 
Congress are standing with us today.
    I appreciate los Embajadores from the Central American countries, 
Ambassador

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Duenas, Ambassador Stadthagen, Ambassador Espinal, Ambassador Castillo 
de Guatemala. By the way, Espinal is Dominican Republic; Ambassador 
Stadthagen is from Nicaragua; Duenas is from Costa Rica. I appreciate 
Ambassador Leon from El Salvador, who is with us. I want to thank the 
Special Envoy Garcia from Honduras. I appreciate Ana Escobar, who is the 
Vice President of El Salvador, for joining us. Bienvenidos. And I want 
to thank Jose Insulza, who is the Secretary General of the Organization 
of American States, for joining us. Welcome.
    All of us in this room understand that to keep our economy growing 
and creating jobs, we need to open markets for American products 
overseas. All of us understand that strengthening our economic ties with 
our democratic neighbors is vital to America's economic and national 
security interests. And all of us understand that by strengthening ties 
with democracies in our hemisphere, we are advancing the stability that 
comes from freedom.
    Right now Central American goods face almost no tariffs when they 
enter the United States. By contrast, U.S. exports to Central America 
still face hefty tariffs there. CAFTA will end these unfair tariffs 
against American products and help ensure that free trade is fair trade.
    By leveling the playing field for our products, CAFTA will help 
create jobs and opportunities for our citizens. As CAFTA helps create 
jobs and opportunity in the United States, it will help the democracies 
of Central America and the Dominican Republic deliver a better life for 
their citizens. By further opening up their markets, CAFTA will help 
those democracies attract the trade and investment needed for economic 
growth.
    This economic growth will boost demand for U.S. goods and reduce 
poverty and contribute to the rise of a vibrant middle class. This 
economic growth will raise working standards and will deliver hope and 
opportunity to people who have made the choice for freedom. The more 
opportunity that Central Americans have at home to provide for 
themselves and their families means it's less likely that someone 
looking for a job will try to come to this country illegally.
    By strengthening the democracies in the region, CAFTA will enhance 
our Nation's security. Two decades ago, many of the CAFTA nations 
struggled with poverty and dictatorship and civil strife. Today, they're 
working democracies, and we must not take these gains for granted. These 
nations still face forces that oppose democracy, seek to limit economic 
freedom, and want to drive a wedge between the United States and the 
rest of the Americas. The small nations of CAFTA are making big and 
brave commitments, and CAFTA is a signal that the United States will 
stand with them and support them. By helping the CAFTA nations build 
free societies, we'll help them eliminate the lawlessness and 
instability that terrorists and criminals and drug traffickers feed on. 
And this will make our country safer.
    CAFTA is more than a trade bill; it is a commitment among freedom-
loving nations to advance peace and prosperity throughout the region. As 
the oldest democracy in the Western Hemisphere, the United States has a 
moral obligation and a vital national security interest in helping 
democracies in our neighborhood succeed, and CAFTA advances this goal.
    And to ensure that the 21st century is one of prosperity and freedom 
and security, my administration will continue to work to strengthen 
democracy and open markets for American exports all across the world.
    And now it's my honor to invite the Members of the Congress to join 
me as I sign the legislation that will implement the Central American-
Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement.

Note: The President spoke at 11:15 a.m. in the East Room at the White 
House. In his remarks, he referred to former U.S. Trade Representative 
Robert B. Zoellick; U.S. Trade Representative Rob Portman; Stephanie 
Johanns, wife of Secretary of Agriculture Johanns; Ambassador Tomas 
Duenas of Costa Rica; Ambassador Salvador Stadthagen of Nicaragua; 
Ambassador Flavio Dario Espinal Jacobo of the Dominican Republic; 
Ambassador Guillermo Castillo of Guatemala; Ambassador Rene Antonio Leon 
Rodriguez of El Salvador; and Special Envoy Norman Garcia of Honduras. 
The Office of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish language 
transcript of these remarks.

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