Political Quotes

“Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And I thank you so much for hosting this Special Order and all the work that you have done. Given the extraordinary economic challenges that we face, I can't think of a better or more appropriate topic for Congress to be addressing here today than trade. Let's face it, the pending free trade agreements with Colombia, Panama, and South Korea should have been enacted long ago. And only today, after years of delay, has the White House finally transmitted the agreement to Congress for ratification. As a result, we have been forced to wait while sales and jobs are lost to other countries that do not face the same trade barriers that U.S. exporters face. On many products, tariffs would have come down immediately upon enactment of these FTAs, giving a massive boost to our economy at a time when we need it more than ever. In my home State of Illinois, I have visited with businesses like Hendrickson, Caterpillar, and Navistar, all major players holding their breath, ready to export millions of dollars of U.S.-made goods to new markets opened by these agreements. Right now in Illinois, a company like Caterpillar has to pay a $200,000 tariff for just one heavy-duty earth mover going into Colombia, while Colombian exports come into the U.S. nearly duty free. That is $200,000 that could instead stay in America with the free trade agreement and supply jobs in my district and nationwide.…”