On the recordJune 12, 2015
I thank the ranking member for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker, President John F. Kennedy once said: ``The U.S. did not rise to greatness waiting for others to lead. Economic isolation and political leadership are wholly incompatible.'' This is the moment for the United States to lead. I am voting ``yes'' on the trade bills that we have today. Trade is good for the United States: 95 percent of all consumers are outside the United States. Trade is good for Texas: last year we had over $289 billion of goods exported from Texas; 1.1 million jobs were created in Texas; millions of other jobs were created in the United States. Now, who are those small companies? Who are those companies exporting? Ninety-three percent of those companies in Texas are small- and medium-sized, so therefore this is how we create good jobs here in the United States. Ladies and gentlemen, let's support fair trade. Again, I ask you to support the trade bill today.
