Joe Crowley

I strongly believe that we should consider all these agreements by July 1st.

It is time for the Republicans to end their Colombia obsession, and for the first time since they took over the House 11 weeks ago, get to work creating jobs for the American people, starting with the Korean free trade agreement.

Let's move the Korea FTA. It is ten times more valuable to the American economy than the Colombian FTA.

We cannot afford foot-dragging on these agreements, nor shabby treatment of these two important friends and trading partners.

Given that the Korean agreement is completed, and there is some level of concern that we are waiting too long to move, could this disadvantage--for either one of you--could this disadvantage our service industries?

Moving forward to show--to allow congressional consideration of this agreement by July 1st is in the national security interests of the United States.

They want the Administration to fail, no matter what the cost to the American people.

The Republicans are obsessed with the Colombia FTA, but none of them would volunteer their wives or daughters to go to work for a Colombian flower company.

We need to stand with our friends, and we should start by moving forward with the Colombia trade agreement.

So would you agree that there is a difference between the standards that are set within the agreement and maybe the country's having fulfilled those standards?

We either move forward or we move backward; the choice is ours.

The real question here is whether or not the parties have met the standards of the agreement, in terms of labor.

The time to move forward with all three is now.

If there is the political will, Colombia can address these issues in months, not years.

Until Colombia makes concrete progress, the rest of the trade agenda that will get Americans the jobs they desperately need should move forward.

the pending trade agreement with Colombia offers significant economic and geostrategic benefits.

A continued delay will only harm American interests in the region.

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