Bob Filner: “I do represent the entire California-Mexico border, so I am a border Congressman; and I must say, we have some…”

“I do represent the entire California-Mexico border, so I am a border Congressman; and I must say, we have some difficulties with the proposed legislation. The gentlewoman from Ohio, and I am sorry that it had to take someone from the hinterlands to explain to us that this whole issue of NAFTA and NADBank need to be discussed by this body in a far more important way than a bill on suspension that gives us 10 minutes to debate. The gentlewoman is entirely correct. And just because it is only the NADBank that falls within the jurisdiction of the Banking Committee is no reason to limit this House from a fuller discussion. The Banking Committee can in fact go in with other committees and have that discussion. The gentlewoman was absolutely right: jobs have been lost, millions, because of NAFTA. I live in San Diego, California, a community impacted by NAFTA. Did the community adjustment investment fund or NADBank do anything for our community? No. Is it going to do anything with the proposed reforms? I do not know. But I am very wary. When NAFTA was passed, there was no infrastructure put in place to realize some of its benefits. For example, in San Diego, California, 3,000 trucks a day now cross the border from Mexico to the United States. There is no highway that takes those 3,000 trucks from the border crossing to the interstate highway system. I have been trying to get it built for the last 10 years.”