Robin Carnahan: “as we emerge from last year's recession, we must remain focused on promoting economic opportunities and creating jobs.…”

“as we emerge from last year's recession, we must remain focused on promoting economic opportunities and creating jobs. Expanding international trade can help our economy. Our small and large companies, and our workers benefit when we open foreign markets to American goods. Our farmers and ranchers benefit when they can sell their agricultural products overseas and our families benefit when reduced tariffs lower the price of consumer goods. However, as we look to expand economic opportunities through international trade, we should remember the Hippocratic oath that all physicians must take: ``First, do no harm.'' While we should strive to expand international trade, we must first do no harm to our economy and our workers. Now more than ever as our Nation continues to lose manufacturing jobs. We must not allow our trading partners to gain unfair advantages at the expense of American workers. Fair trade expands opportunities and creates jobs. Unfair trade ships opportunities and jobs overseas. My State alone has lost nearly 40,000 manufacturing jobs since 1998.”