JOHN LINDER: “Free and fair trade is the foundation of our capitalist society. It creates jobs and improves wages. It contributes to…”

“Free and fair trade is the foundation of our capitalist society. It creates jobs and improves wages. It contributes to economic growth and improves standards of living. It promotes freedom, opportunity and openness. One in ten Americans work in export-related jobs. Typically, those jobs pay 18 percent more than the national average. In addition to rising wages, trade has resulted in lower prices, resulting in a benefit of between $1,300 and $2,000 per year for the average family of four. Clearly, American workers benefit from expanded trade. The benefits of trade reaped by American workers and their families extend to the entire U.S. economy, as trade facilitates our global competitiveness. Exports have accounted for nearly one-quarter of U.S. economic growth during the past decade. In fact, NAFTA and the Uruguay Round combined have increased U.S. income by nearly $60 billion per year. Further, U.S. industrial production is 48 percent higher today than in 1990, prior to the enactment of NAFTA and the Uruguay Round. The passage of Trade Promotion Authority is imperative. Free trade will stimulate our economic recovery and preserve the very core of capitalism. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 3005.”