Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I would urge my colleagues to vote against this suspension of the rules. H.R. 2644, the U.S.-Caribbean Trade Act, is meant to provide parity with the nations in the Caribbean with Mexico as it relates to NAFTA. First, it is important to point out that the nations that we are talking about, they are not just the small island nations but we are talking about many of the countries of Central America. What is the reason for this bill? Why is there the need for parity? What has NAFTA caused harm in the Caribbean nations? If you look at the major industry that was created by the Caribbean Basin Initiative, it has been the selling of garments that has been one of the principal objectives of the CBI initiative. Since the passage of NAFTA, the export share from the Caribbean and Central American nations in the CBI has increased from 18 percent to 23 percent their share of U.S. market. They have not been hurt by NAFTA. It appears like they have been helped. If you look at the percentage increase from the 26 CBI nations to the United States, between 1993 and 1996, in apparel, it has increased by 63 percent.”