[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 44, Number 10 (Monday, March 17, 2008)]
[Pages 362-368]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks to the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

March 12, 2008

    Gracias. Thank you. Sientese. Gracias mi amigo David. Thank you for 
having me back yet again to speak. This is an opportunity de practicar 
mi Espanol. [Laughter] Of course, a lot of people say I ought to be 
spending more time practicing my English. [Laughter] But I'm thrilled to 
be with you.
    I really love the entrepreneurial spirit in all communities. And 
it's evident in the Latino community. As you know, I'm blessed to be a 
Texan, and I got to see firsthand, as Governor, the unbelievable 
initiative and drive of Hispanics who lived in my State. And it's the 
same thing all across the country. And so part of the purpose for me to 
come is to thank you for your helping others realize the blessings of 
owning a small business; thanks for creating jobs; thanks for setting 
good examples; and thanks for being my friend.
    David, as you know, I've been to the Hispanic Chamber--I think this 
is my third time, but I know a lot of you personally. And this may be my 
farewell address to the Hispanic Chamber as President, but it's 
certainly not going to be my farewell to you as a friend.
    I thank not only David but Augie Martinez. I thank the directors of 
the Hispanic Chamber. I thank my old buddy Hector Barreto, who is here 
with us, who--[applause]--Michael Barrera, thank you both. Appreciate 
you, Miguel.
    And then there are members of my Cabinet who have come because today 
I'm going to discuss with you a very serious issue, an issue that 
matters a lot to your future and the future of this country. And so I 
welcome Secretary of Defense Bob Gates, Secretary of the Treasury Hank 
Paulson, Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer, Secretary of Commerce 
Carlos Gutierrez. Elaine Chao, Secretary of Labor, is with us. Susan 
Schwab of the USTR--Trade Representative is with us. This is not a 
Cabinet meeting. [Laughter]
    These are people who are here to put an exclamation point on the 
subject I'm going to discuss with you today. And so I thank you all for 
coming. I appreciate your time.

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    I also want to welcome Carolina Barco, who is the Ambassador from 
Colombia, and other members of the diplomatic corps that have joined us.
    A lot has changed since I first spoke to this group. I had to face 
some very difficult spending decisions, and I've had to conduct 
sensitive diplomacy. That's called planning for a wedding. [Laughter] La 
boda--[laughter]--de mi ninita. [Laughter]
    I really appreciate the fact that we work together. I just want to 
review a couple of issues that have made a difference. First of all, we 
worked together to launch a period of sustained economic growth. I 
remember meeting with some right after the attacks, and we were 
wondering whether or not our economy could withstand a terrorist attack. 
After all, a recession was in place just as I came into office; then the 
terrorists attacked; then we had corporate scandals.
    And a lot of folks were wondering whether or not this economy would 
be resilient enough to withstand those pressures. And it turns out, it 
was. And I want to thank you very much for supporting the tax cuts plans 
that had good effect on small businesses all across the United States 
during that period of time. I think when people take a look back at this 
moment in our economic history, they'll recognize tax cuts work. They 
have made a difference.
    And this is what we're doing again. We've entered another period of 
difficult times. I am confident in the long term for the United States 
economy. I know we're resilient. I know we're entrepreneurial. I know 
we'll withstand these times. I want to thank you for supporting the 
economic stimulus package that we passed, which provides strong 
incentives for small businesses to expand and will put money into the 
pockets of the people who earned it.
    Secretary Paulson has assured me--and I--he's a can-do guy--that the 
checks will be coming into the mail in the second week of May. The other 
thing I do want to assure you of is that if Congress tries to raise 
taxes, I'm going to veto it. We don't need tax increases.
    I appreciate your strong support on No Child Left Behind. We agreed 
that a system that just simply moves children through without measuring 
is inexcusable. You recognized early that many Latino kids were denied, 
you know, the great promise of America because they didn't get the good 
education that we expect. And so we confronted this business about 
giving up on kids early. We demand accountability. We spent more money. 
But in return for the increased money, we expect schools to measure, and 
we expect schools to correct problems early, before it's too late.
    No Child Left Behind is working. We've measured. Fourth grade--
Hispanic fourth graders have set new records when it comes to reading 
and math. So rather than weakening No Child Left Behind, the United 
States Congress needs to strengthen No Child Left Behind for the sake of 
all our children. And I want to thank you for your support.
    A Federal contracting process is open to more small and minority-
owned businesses, thanks to our SBA guys who have been running the show, 
Steve and Hector. And we'll continue that practice of making sure that 
there's fairness when it comes to Federal contracting.
    I appreciate your support on immigration law. I'm sorry that--
[applause]--you know, I'm disappointed that Congress missed a good 
opportunity to uphold our values and uphold our laws at the same time. 
And I'm confident that the day will come when a President signs an 
immigration bill that secures our borders, respect our laws, and treats 
people with dignity.
    And now I want to discuss trade with you. It's a sensitive subject 
in America, and it's an important subject. As business leaders, you 
understand that breaking down barriers to trade and investment creates 
opportunities for our workers--for American workers and employees and 
employers and consumers. We--trade adds to our prosperity, but as 
importantly, it adds to the prosperity of our trading partners. We want 
people who are interested in our goods and services to do well 
economically. We believe that the world benefits when prosperity is 
abundant throughout the world.
    Trade also serves a broader strategic purpose. When we enter into 
free trade agreements, we reinforce commitments to democracy and 
transparency and rule of law. By

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promoting a future of freedom and progress and hope, we create an 
alternative vision to those of the terrorists and extremists who prey on 
societies trapped in poverty and despair. In other words, trade helps 
democracies flourish; it helps enhance prosperity. And that helps us in 
our national security concerns.
    My administration has made expanding trade a high priority. When I 
took office, America had free trade agreements in force with just three 
nations. Isn't that interesting--just three countries. Today, we have 
agreements in force with 14, and Congress recently approved another one 
with Peru. Three more agreements are on Congress's agenda this year: 
Colombia, Panama, and South Korea. All three are important, and the 
agreement with Colombia is especially urgent.
    For more than a year, my administration has worked with both parties 
in Congress to seek a path to bring this agreement up for approval. We 
continue to stand ready to negotiate a bipartisan way forward. But time 
is running out, and we must not allow delay to turn into inaction. The 
Colombia agreement is pivotal to America's national security and 
economic interests right now, and it is too important to be held up by 
politics. There needs to be a vote on Colombia this year.
    And that means that Members of the Congress must be ready to move 
forward with the agreement when they return from the Easter recess. 
Members of both parties should work with this administration to bring 
legislation to implement the Colombia agreement to the floor for 
approval. And they need to get the job done and get a bill to my desk.
    And I'll tell you why. Because this agreement with Colombia will 
advance our national security and economic interests in these ways. 
Colombia is one of our closest allies in the Western Hemisphere. Under 
the leadership of President Uribe, Colombia has been a strong and 
capable partner, a strong and effective partner in fighting drugs and 
crime and terror. Colombia has also strengthened its democracy, reformed 
its economy. It has spoken out against anti-Americanism. This Government 
has made hard choices that deserves the admiration and the gratitude of 
the United States.
    These actions have required courage, and they've come with costs. As 
we speak, Colombia is under assault from a terrorist network known as 
the FARC, which aims to overthrow Colombia's democracy and aims to 
impose a Marxist vision on the country. The FARC pursues this objective 
through bombing, hostage-taking, and assassination, much of it funded by 
drug trafficking. Since 2003, attacks by the FARC have killed or injured 
more than 1,500 civilians. Last summer, the FARC executed 11 Colombian 
lawmakers after holding them captive for 5 years. And the FARC continues 
to use jungle camps to hold hundreds of kidnaped victims, including 
three U.S. citizens.
    President Uribe has waged an aggressive campaign against FARC 
terrorists, who do not respect national sovereignty or borders. Earlier 
this month, Colombian forces killed one of FARC's most senior leaders, a 
man believed to be responsible for trafficking cocaine and murdering 
hundreds of people.
    And the response to all this action reveals the challenges that 
Colombia faces. The President of Venezuela praised the terrorist leader 
as a good revolutionary and ordered his troops to the Colombian border. 
This is the latest step in a disturbing pattern of provocative behavior 
by the regime in Caracas. It has also called for FARC terrorists to be 
recognized as a legitimate army, and senior regime officials have met 
with FARC leaders in Venezuela.
    As it tries to expand its influence in Latin America, the regime 
claims to promote social justice. In truth, its agenda amounts to little 
more than empty promises and a thirst for power. It has squandered its 
oil wealth in an effort to promote its hostile, anti-American vision. 
And it has left its own citizens to face food shortages, while it 
threatens its neighbors.
    The stakes are high in South America. As the recent standoff in the 
Andes shows, the region is facing an increasingly stark choice: to 
quietly accept the vision of the terrorists and the demagogues or to 
actively support democratic leaders like President Uribe. I've made my 
choice. I'm standing with courageous leadership that believes in freedom 
and peace. And I believe when the American people hear the facts, they 
will make their

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choice and stand with a person who loves liberty and freedom.
    And there is no clearer sign of our support than a free trade 
agreement. This agreement would help President Uribe show his people 
that democracy leads to tangible benefits. This agreement would help 
create new jobs in Colombia, which would make it harder to recruit 
people to violence and terrorism and drug trafficking. The agreement 
would signal to the region that America's commitment to free markets and 
free people is unshakable.
    And now it calls on Congress to decide whether this agreement will 
take effect. People across the hemisphere are watching. They are waiting 
to see what Congress will do.
    Some Members of Congress have raised concerns over the situation in 
Colombia. Again and again, President Uribe has responded decisively. 
He's responded to concerns about violence by demobilizing tens of 
thousands of paramilitary fighters. He's responded to concerns about 
attacks on trade unionists by stepping up funding for prosecutions, 
establishing an independent prosecutors unit, and creating a special 
program to protect labor activists. He's responded to concerns over 
labor and environmental standards by revising the free trade agreement 
to include some of the most rigorous protections of any agreement in 
history. As one Democratic House Member put it: ``It's impossible for 
someone to go to Colombia and not be impressed with the strides they 
have made.'' Ladies and gentlemen, if this isn't enough to earn 
America's support, then what is?
    If Congress were to reject the agreement with Colombia, we would 
validate antagonists in Latin America who would say that the America 
cannot be trusted to stand by its friends. We would cripple our 
influence in the region and make other nations less likely to cooperate 
with us in the future. We would betray one of our closest friends in our 
own backyard.
    In the words of Prime Minister Stephen Harper of Canada: ``If the 
U.S. turns its back on its friends in Colombia, this will set back our 
cause far more than any Latin American dictator could hope to achieve.'' 
Congress needs to listen to those wise words as they consider this 
important bill. Members of both parties should come together. Members of 
both parties should demonstrate their support for freedom in our 
hemisphere. And members of both parties should prove the--approve the 
Colombian free trade agreement.
    These strategic benefits are not the only reason for Congress to 
approve our trade agreement with Colombia. The agreement will also bring 
economic gains for both countries. Today, virtually all exports from 
Colombia enter into the United States duty free, but U.S. exports to 
Colombia face tariffs up to 35 percent. Now think about that. Goods 
coming from Colombia to us enter our country virtually duty free, and 
yet goods going from the United States to Colombia are taxed.
    Now, doesn't it make sense to pass an agreement that says, the 
Colombians will treat us the way we treat them? If you're a farmer or 
interested in exporting construction equipment or aircraft and auto 
parts or medical and scientific equipment, your goods will now go into 
Colombia duty free, which means you're more likely to be able to sell 
your goods into Colombia. And if you're working for one of those 
companies, it means you're more likely to be able to keep your job.
    I can't understand a mentality that doesn't recognize that causing 
America to be treated equally is not in our interests. It is in our 
interests. Every day that Congress goes without approving this agreement 
is a day that our businesses, large and small, become less competitive. 
It's missed opportunity.
    This agreement is especially important during a difficult period for 
our economy. Listen, last year, exports accounted for more than 40 
percent of growth. Doesn't it make sense to open up markets, to continue 
to grow our economy with good exports? I think it does. And this is an 
opportunity for the United States Congress to send a clear message that 
they are concerned, like I'm concerned, about the state of our economy; 
they, like me, want to provide opportunities for our producers and our 
workers to be able to find new markets and expanded markets for U.S. 
goods and services.

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    This agreement will also benefit Colombia. It will give Colombian 
exporters the certainty that comes with permanent access. This will help 
stimulate investment and economic growth and higher standards of living 
for families in Colombia. And it will make it clear to the Colombian 
people, we're partners in prosperity, and we're partners in peace.
    The time is coming when Members will get to vote yes or no. My 
administration is committed to working this agreement hard on the floor 
of the Congress. I firmly believe it is in our interests that this be 
passed. It's not in our political interests. We ought to just put 
politics aside and focus on what's best for the United States of 
America. And what is best for our country is to get this agreement 
approved soon.
    Congress also ought to approve the other two trade agreements on 
their agenda after they approve this one. Congress needs to approve the 
trade agreement with Panama, which will open up U.S. access to one of 
the fastest growing economies in Central America and support a key 
democratic partner. Congress also needs to approve the free trade 
agreement with South Korea, which has the potential to boost U.S. 
exports by more than $10 billion while strengthening a key ally.
    As Congress moves forward with these agreements, we will continue to 
press for an ambitious, successful Doha round at the WTO. We're prepared 
to lead to ensure Doha reaches a successful conclusion. We understand 
the role of the United States. We're not going to shirk our duty to 
lead. But we're not going to make unilateral concessions either. We want 
negotiations to come from--as a result of meaningful contributions by 
all folks. That's how you reach a successful round.
    And so we challenged our trading partners to help forge a deal that 
opens up global trade flows and creates new opportunities for developed 
and developing nations alike. Our view is, the time for debating Doha is 
over. Now is the time for leaders to make tough choices that will allow 
these negotiations to advance.
    Look, I know a lot of folks are worried about trade. There's 
neighbors worrying about neighbors losing jobs. People say, ``Well, 
trade causes us to lose jobs.'' And I fully understand that. Sometimes 
trade causes people to lose jobs. Sometimes the fact that technology 
hasn't advanced as rapidly or the productivity of workers isn't as good 
as it should be has caused people to lose jobs.
    But nevertheless, there is that concern. And so my question to the 
American people is, what's the best way to respond? One option is to 
stop trade, erect barriers, try to wall ourselves off from the world. 
Those costs of isolationist policies and protectionist policies would 
far exceed any possible benefit. Closing off our markets would drive up 
prices for American families, making it harder for people to sell goods 
in our country, would deny families choices that they've been used to. 
We want our consumers to have choices when they walk into markets. The 
more choices available, the better it is for a consumer. The more 
competition it is for a product, the less likely it is price will rise.
    The other nations would retaliate, by the way, if they saw the 
United States throwing up barriers, and that would push jobs overseas 
faster. It could hurt millions of Americans who go to work each morning, 
who work for companies that rely upon exports or companies that rely 
upon foreign capital as their base of operations.
    You know, some have called for a timeout from trade. I guess that's 
probably popular with the focus group. You know, they toss out the word 
timeout from trade. It's got this kind of catchy little title to it. In 
the 21st century, a timeout from trade would be a timeout from growth, a 
timeout from jobs, and a timeout from good results. And retreating from 
the opportunities of the global economy would be a reckless mistake that 
our country cannot afford.
    And there's a better answer. And one of them shows faith in the 
American workers instead of trying to stand against the growth of global 
trade, instead of granting other people access to markets that we 
ourselves could have. Instead of squandering an opportunity, why don't 
we help educate people? Why don't we provide educational opportunities 
so workers will have the skills necessary to fill the high-paying jobs 
of the 21st century?

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    One reason I mentioned No Child Left Behind is, it's got to--this 
program has got to start early, and it is. We're setting high standards 
and measuring and correcting problems early, before it's too late. But 
there's more we can do. We provided more than a billion dollars for new 
initiatives to educate and prepare workers for the jobs of the 21st 
century. Yesterday Secretary Chao announced more than $100 million in 
new community-based job training grants. In other words, we're focusing 
money to help people get the skills necessary to fill the jobs that are 
available in America. And when you get education, you're a more 
productive worker, which means you're going to get paid more money. 
That's what that means.
    These grants support community college programs--I'm a big supporter 
of community colleges--that provide training for jobs in high-growth 
fields. And that's our strategy. Now, the word you'll hear attached to 
that is trade adjustment assistance. That's another program aimed at 
helping people get the skills necessary to find work. We support it. We 
support reforming and reauthorizing the vital program as a key component 
of trade policy. And I look forward to working with Congress to sign a 
good bill that I can sign into law.
    These agreements that I've talked about deserve support from both 
sides of the aisle. And today I want to make a direct appeal to the 
members of the Democratic Party. From Franklin Roosevelt to John F. 
Kennedy to Bill Clinton, Democrats have a long history of supporting 
trade. Opening markets has been a history and a cornerstone of 
Democratic policy. As President Clinton said, when he signed legislation 
to implement NAFTA 14 years ago: ``We're on the verge of a global 
economic expansion that is sparked by the fact that the United States, 
at this critical moment, decided we would compete and not retreat.'' I 
fully support those strong words, those confident words, those 
optimistic words about America's ability to compete in the world. Thanks 
in part to the market-opening set in motion by the President, trade 
between the United States, Mexico, and Canada has more than tripled 
since 1993.
    I mean, I know there's a lot of criticism of NAFTA, but I will tell 
you this: I grew up in Texas; I remember what the border was like. And I 
would ask people to go down to that border today and see the benefits, 
the mutual benefits of what trade has meant for people who, on both 
sides of the border, for years grew up in abject poverty. We may have 
some south Texans here today, and if you're old enough, you know exactly 
what I'm talking about.
    The transformation has been remarkable because both sides have 
benefited. Both sides have realized the blessings of trade, as has 
Canada. All three of our economies, by the way, since that agreement was 
signed, have grown by more than 50 percent. More than 25 million new 
jobs have been created in the United States. The unemployment rate is 
lower than in previous decades. Workers, farmers, entrepreneurs have 
seen real improvements in their daily lives, including many Hispanic-
owned businesses on both sides of the border.
    Listen, NAFTA has worked. People shouldn't back away from NAFTA. 
It's been a positive development for a lot of people. And if you're 
worried about people coming to our country to find jobs, there's no 
better way to help somebody stay home than for there to be prosperity in 
their neighborhood. I'm convinced most people don't want to try to sneak 
into America to work. I'm convinced most people would rather have a job 
close to their--close to where they live. And trade helps increase 
prosperity. It's mutually beneficial for Canada, the United States, and 
America--I mean, and Mexico.
    Now, look, I understand supporting free trade agreements is not 
politically easy. There are a lot of special interest groups that are 
willing to spend a lot of money to make somebody's life miserable when 
it comes to supporting free trade agreements. But I believe leadership 
requires people rising above this empty, hollow political rhetoric. If 
you're committed to multilateral diplomacy, you cannot support 
unilateral withdrawal from trade agreements. If you're worried--
[applause]--if you are worried about America's image in the world, it 
makes no sense to disappoint the nations that are counting on us

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most. If you care about lifting developing nations out of poverty, you 
cannot deny them access to the world's greatest engine of economic 
growth. If you're truly optimistic about our country's future, there's 
no reason to wall our Nation off from the opportunities of the world.
    I appreciate your efforts in these matters. I feel strongly that 
trade is in our national interests. I know it's in your personal 
interests if you're businesspeople. Of course, as you prosper, people 
are more likely to find work. After all, 70 percent of the new jobs in 
America are created by small-business owners just like those present 
here.
    I believe Congress will do the right thing. When it's all said and 
done, they'll take a hard look at the facts. They will take a look at 
the consequences of rejecting a trade agreement with our close ally. 
They'll take a good look at the consequences of sending the wrong 
message to the false populists of the region. They'll take a simple, 
logical look at how this can benefit our farmers and small-business 
owners and employers.
    Thanks for helping us work the issue. Thanks for giving me a chance 
to come and speak to you. May God bless you, and may God bless our 
country.

Note: The President spoke at 10:41 a.m. at the Ronald Reagan Building 
and International Trade Center. In his remarks, he referred to David C. 
Lizarraga, chair, Augustine Martinez, interim president and chief 
executive officer, and Michael L. Barrera, former president and chief 
executive officer, U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce; former Small 
Business Administration Administrator Hector V. Barreto; and President 
Hugo Chavez Frias of Venezuela.