On the recordOctober 3, 2011
As you know, our economy is in a tough situation here. Two-and-a-half years after recovery has supposedly started, we have almost 20 million Americans unable find a full-time job; yet we have companies, ranchers, businesses, technologies, small business anxious to sell their products around the world. But this administration, unfortunately, has not moved the free trade agreements that would allow us not simply to buy American, but to sell American in every corner of this globe. I am pleased to announce that today, nearly 5 years after America signed a sales agreement, a trade agreement with Colombia, that the White House has submitted agreements, these agreements with Korea, Colombia, and Panama, to the United States Congress and the Ways and Means Committee of the House of Representatives. We are going to move quickly and deliberately and strongly to pass these trade agreements so we can level the playing field and allow our farmers and companies and manufacturers and workers to compete and win around the world on that level playing field. Tonight, we have a number of distinguished lawmakers who have focused on finding new customers for our companies and our farmers here at home. I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Kansas (Ms. Jenkins), a member of the Ways and Means Committee and Trade Subcommittee.
