On the recordJune 17, 2010
I rise today to discuss an issue I believe is of significant importance to our Nation's economy. There has been a lot of talk lately about the whole idea of increasing exports. I--like, I guess, every other Member of this body--support the goal of expanding exports. Increasing exports means companies will sell more of their goods and services into more markets around the world. A number of those companies, I might add, are found in rural communities, found in States such as Nebraska. I was sitting there when President Obama, in his State of the Union Address, set a goal. He said: I want to double exports in the next 5 years. Since then, the administration has pushed its National Export Initiative, which appears to be about increasing spending and the size of government. But a more sensible course of action would truly be to increase exports--sell more. I am talking about free trade agreements. The previous administration negotiated a number of trade agreements, but there are three pending from the previous administration: Colombia, South Korea, and Panama. Unfortunately, these agreements have been languishing since they were first agreed to--now around 3 years ago.
