Ehrlich on Washington column, December 16, 2001

NEWS FROM Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. Second Congressional District of Maryland 1 407 York Rood, Suit* 304 LultorvilU, Morylond 2 1 093 315 Cannon Hovm Office Building YVothinglon, D C 20515 EHRLICH ON WASHINGTON Week of December 16,2001 By Congressman Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. Communicating With the World: One Shipment at a Time Last week, the House of Representatives adopted the bipartisan Trade Promotion Authority (TP A) bill by the slimmest of margins. As a proponent of free and fair trade, I voted to give the President of the United States this critical and timely tool to strengthen his hand when negotiating with our trading partners overseas. Under TPA, Congress agrees to consider trade agreements, which the President has negotiated, on an expedited basis. TPA facilitates the adoption of trade agreements by assuring our negotiating partners that their carefully crafted agreements will not be changed when Congress votes to implement them. As a result, the President and U.S. trade officials can negotiate trade agreements in good faith, thereby enhancing America’s credibility abroad. It is to our distinct advantage to establish rules and procedures with as many countries as possible to instill order and confidence in the U.S. economy and the global marketplace. Why is free and fair trade important? For several reasons. First, President Bush (and before him President Clinton) have called open trade not just an economic opportunity, but a moral imperative. I agree. As we wage our war on terrorism, we must communicate the ideals that make ours the greatest nation in history. Trade with foreign countries breaks down the barriers of distrust and apprehension, and speaks volumes about American ingenuity and achievement. Second, one out of every 14 employees in the U.S. business sector is dependent upon the sale of U.S.- produced goods and services in foreign markets. Approximately 1 in 5 factory jobs in the U.S. was created by export demand. Small- and medium-size businesses, the backbone of our economy, represent 97% of U.S. exporters, who provided a combined $780 billion worth of goods and services to the world last year.