Kim Reynolds: “Mr. Speaker, 6 years ago this body passed legislation known as the Uruguay Round Trade Agreements. The legislation…”

“Mr. Speaker, 6 years ago this body passed legislation known as the Uruguay Round Trade Agreements. The legislation established the World Trade Organization, or WTO, which replaced the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, or GATT, with a more comprehensive and workable trade agreement. In ``Democracy in America,'' Alexis DeTocqueville wrote that ``in democracies, nothing is more great or more brilliant than commerce.'' In our great democracy, this United States is the world leader in the global marketplace, affecting the lives and quality of life of millions of American workers, farmers and businesspeople who depend on open and stable world markets. The United States is the world's leading exporter and importer, trading over $2 trillion worth of goods and services each year in the international marketplace. While the underlying measure would not necessarily provide for the President to withdraw from the WTO, it would call the United States global future into question.”