Walter B. Jones: “last month, 10,500 North Carolinians lost their jobs. Many of those jobs were in the manufacturing sector. Why?…”

“last month, 10,500 North Carolinians lost their jobs. Many of those jobs were in the manufacturing sector. Why? Misguided trade policies like ``Most Favored Nation'' trade status for China, Trade Promotion Authority, and an explosion of free trade agreements like NAFTA and CAFTA. It appears this administration wants to eliminate more U.S. manufacturing jobs by signing another free trade agreement, this one with the low-wage countries such as Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. This agreement is called AFTA, Andean Free Trade Agreement. It is being negotiated as we speak. In addition to eliminating U.S. jobs, AFTA is likely to increase the amount of cocaine coming into this country. U.S. negotiators are pushing the Colombians to agree to provisions that will force many of their poor farmers into cocaine production. That cocaine will undoubtedly come flooding into American neighborhoods. I urge my colleagues to look into this issue, because if there is one thing this country does not need, it is a new trade agreement that exports U.S. jobs and increases imports of deadly drugs. Mr. Speaker, I think too many times we in the Congress try to do what we think is right, but when it comes to sending jobs down to Central America or to China or other countries, it is not good for the American workers. Mr.…”