Trade

Previous administrations have initiated numerous questionable trade agreements.  Unfortunately, these trade agreements were rushed without the necessary protections against adverse impacts on our own workforce or on the welfare of the population and environment of other nations. 

I believe that our nation should only enter trade agreements that promote fair trade.  These agreements should protect workers’ rights domestically and abroad, advance global environmental justice, and ensure that strict consumer protection standards are maintained.
 
Strong and capable domestic manufacturing and service sectors are critical to our nation’s economic recovery.  Our nation’s past economic successes were possible due to the strength of our manufacturers.  Likewise, our technology industry was critical to our economic successes in the past 20 years.  I believe that recent trade pacts have contributed to our loss of manufacturing jobs, service jobs, and information technology positions, hurt our nation's trade competitiveness, and caused many corporations to move jobs overseas.  Additionally, our tax code rewards companies that export jobs to other countries, further weakening the competitiveness of workers in our manufacturing, service, and technology sectors.  During the economic crisis, the harm inflicted due to these trade agreements and tax provisions was felt throughout our economy.

For these reasons, I oppose the Colombia Free Trade Agreement.  As you may know, the Bush Administration encouraged Congress in 2008 to act quickly to approve this agreement.  However, I am proud that this trade agreement was not approved during the 110th Congress.  As with previous free trade agreements, I have concerns about the consequences of this agreement. In my view, this agreement: 

• Undermines American laws regarding the environment, consumer safety, and other issues by allowing foreign entities to sue state and federal governments alleging that our laws are barriers to trade;
• Lacks sufficient protections for the American consumer to keep poisoned, tainted, pirated, and counterfeit goods out of our markets.
• Lacks sufficient measures to ensure that Colombian workers are entitled to fair labor standards;
• Lacks adequate environmental protection measures;
• Lacks input from workers, businesses, farmers, and indigenous people because their representatives were excluded from trade negotiations;

I am encouraged that President Obama has signaled that the United States will modify our approach to international trade agreements.  In fact, I signed a letter with several of my colleagues in the House of Representatives urging President Obama to support fair trade policies that create and retain jobs in the United States and foster sustainable and equitable development worldwide.  

I will continue to oppose these types of trade agreements with other nations until they are fair to our workers and businesses, respect our laws, provide adequate consumer protection, and also extend important protections to foreign workers and businesses.