On the recordDecember 15, 2010
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Omnibus Trade Act of 2010. Mr. Speaker, you know that when the AFL-CIO and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce are energetically in favor of the same bill, that's a pretty good day and probably a pretty good thing to do. This bill helps U.S. businesses. It reduces their costs with tariff reductions on things they need that aren't made here in the United States. Each one of these tariff reductions have been carefully vetted. They have been on the Web site. Anybody can see them. It has been a very transparent process, and it is good that we're able to get it done before we leave the Congress at this time. It will create billions of dollars of economic activity and help kick-start the creation of jobs. This bill also helps struggling economies around the world--the Andes, the Caribbean, and others--by keeping our trade programs in place and stable for the next 18 months. We can't let these programs lapse. They are too important to Americans and also to our good partners worldwide with whom we want economic development, with whom we do better if they're doing better, and these programs are helpful to them.
