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I am a firm adherent of the adage that "political friendships follow the trade lanes." As such, I believe that one of our most important foreign policy challenges is in fact the preservation and promotion of economic stability throughout the world.
While we face challenges, including a war on terrorism, we are entering an age that will be defined by free people, free ideas, and free trade. Free trade brings prosperity to both partners by lowering the taxes or the tariffs placed on goods and eliminating the barriers to selling American goods abroad.
The US must continue to encourage an international economic system that is based on open markets and free trade. Granting the President trade promotion authority to negotiate other trade-opening agreements is also key.
Separate bills giving the President authority to negotiate and bring trade agreements to Congress for an up-or-down vote have passed the House and the Senate. The House version – which I fully support – will eliminate and reduce barriers relating to services, agriculture, intellectual property, investment, e-commerce, transparency and regulatory practices.
Since former President Clinton failed to win reauthorization of trade promotion authority, our potential trading partners have been reluctant to engage with the United States because they believe any agreement they make with the executive branch will be second-guessed and amended by the Congress. As a result, America has been left behind as many of our competitors have reached agreements to lower tariffs among themselves.
Those who argue against trade promotion authority do so as a means of preventing free and fair trade with markets abroad. Without it, there can be no more free trade agreements. Without free trade and a stable world economic order, America loses. No where is this more apparent than in the 13th Congressional District, which is home to so many major, world-class exporters.
| Judy on TradeJudy supports an international economic system that is based on open markets and free trade.
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