Washington, Apr 28 -

House Small Business Committee Ranking Member Sam Graves (R-MO) has released the following statement in response to President Obama’s visit to Macon, Missouri:

“Folks in my home state of Missouri are no different than anyone else in America - they need jobs.  They need opportunities.  They need to bring home a paycheck and support their families.  But most of all, they need the President to stop putting up barriers that prevent our businesses from competing in the global marketplace. 

“The President has the ability to open the doors of opportunity for all Americans, yet he continues to talk and ask questions instead of act.  We all know that expanding trade opportunities is critical to economic growth and opportunity in this country, yet the Administration continues to delay implementation of pending trade agreements with countries like Colombia, South Korea, and Panama.  These trade agreements would encourage job growth across the country, stabilize our communities and small businesses, and put our nation back on the path to prosperity.

“With 95 percent of the world’s consumers living outside the U.S., it is clear that expanding trade opportunities could dramatically fuel development and increase revenue. I hope the President takes a step toward real change and positive economic growth by calling on Congress to move forward with these trade agreements. The time to act is now.”

Click here to hear Ranking Member Graves' statement.