Jeanne Shaheen: “I thank my colleague. I agree with both of my colleagues, who have spoken, that we live in a globalized economy, and it…”

“I thank my colleague. I agree with both of my colleagues, who have spoken, that we live in a globalized economy, and it is important for us to make sure we have the benefits of that globalized economy in America. It has offered us incredible new opportunities. But there are opportunities that have not been shared equally across our economy and our workforce. I believe that when given a level playing field, the American workforce has shown it can outcompete and outinnovate any economy in the world. That is the way we will get our economy moving again, by unleashing the power of American entrepreneurship. I have spoken before about ending the false debate between so-called free trade and fair trade. I think we need competitive trade, a policy that focuses on growing U.S. exports, opening new markets for U.S. companies, job training for our workforce, and tough enforcement of trade rules. We can help our workforce compete by giving them access to foreign markets. Fully 95 percent of the world's consumers live outside of the United States, but only 1 percent of U.S. small businesses is doing business outside of the United States, or exporting their products. Increasing our exports is vital to the long-term health of our economy. At the same time, we have to acknowledge that trade creates new challenges for many American companies and American workers.…”