[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 44, Number 3 (Monday, January 28, 2008)]
[Pages 100-101]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
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 deal with the uncertainties with a progrowth 
package.
    One way we can also send a message that we 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

[[Page 101]]

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 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.