James M. Jeffords: “throughout my 30 years in the Congress, I have considered myself a free-trader. I believe that breaking down barriers to…”

“throughout my 30 years in the Congress, I have considered myself a free-trader. I believe that breaking down barriers to trade and opening access to markets in a fair and balanced way in the long run benefits all economies, both consumers and producers. As the distance between economies shrinks, integration of economies in a positive way is increasingly important. The implementation of free-trade agreements to codify the rules of fair play and bind all parties to strong and enforceable labor and environmental protection standards are important steps in the development of a more broadly beneficial and less biased world trading system. In the case of our nearest neighbors, trade agreements take on a security component as well. I believe a strong trade agreement can help break the cycles of poverty, deprivation and marginalization currently operating in many of the Central American countries. We know the economic status quo is unjust and dangerous. Many people in the region feel they have little hope of earning a good living or providing a good education for their children. That must change. It is in the United States' economic and security interest that positive change occurs. Throughout the Dominican Republic--Central America--U.S. Free Trade Agreement, CAFTA, negotiation process, I joined a number of my colleagues on the Finance Committee in urging President Bush and the U.S.…”