United States-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement Implementation Act -- Continued

Floor Speech

UNITED STATES-PERU TRADE PROMOTION AGREEMENT IMPLEMENTATION ACT--Continued -- (Senate - December 04, 2007)

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Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, with today's passage of the United States-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement Implementation Act, we have taken a long-overdue step to strengthen our relationship with Peru, a close friend and important ally in Latin America. This agreement will result in new economic opportunities for U.S. farmers, manufacturers, and service providers, and I am pleased that the Senate has finally voted in favor of its implementation.

None of this would have been possible without the leadership of two of our United States Trade Representatives, Susan Schwab and her predecessor, Rob Portman. I want to thank Ambassador Portman for his hard work at the negotiating table that resulted in a solid agreement that will level the playing field for U.S. producers and exporters. And, I want to thank Ambassador Schwab for her dedication and perseverance that culminated in the May 10 bipartisan trade compromise, which set the stage for today's successful vote. Also meriting special mention for their tireless efforts are the Assistant United States Trade Representative for the Americas, Everett Eissenstat, and his predecessor, Regina Vargo.

Here in the Senate, I want to begin by thanking the chairman of the Finance Committee, Senator Max Baucus. He is a true leader on trade and on the committee. And he is supported by a strong staff. That starts with the Democratic staff director on the Finance Committee, Russ Sullivan, and the deputy staff director, Bill Dauster, who were critical to the process. I also want to thank his chief international trade counsel, Demetrios Marantis, as well as the other members of the Democratic trade staff, Amber Cottle, Janis Lazda, Chelsea Thomas, Darci Vetter, and Hun Quach, and two individuals serving on detail to Senator Baucus, Russ Ugone and Ayesha Khanna.

Of course, I am grateful for the outstanding effort of my staff as well. First, my chief counsel and staff director, Kolan Davis, merits special mention. His legislative expertise has been instrumental in moving countless bills and this is no exception. I also want to thank my chief international trade counsel, Stephen Schaefer, as well as David Johanson, David Ross, and Claudia Bridgeford Poteet. And, I want to thank John Kalitka, who is on detail to my office from the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Finally, I want to thank Polly Craighill and Margaret Roth-Warren of the Office of the Senate Legislative Counsel for their hard work on this legislation. As always, Polly's patience and expertise have been invaluable in producing a top-notch bill. Margaret is a relatively recent addition to the office and already she is proving herself a very strong asset to our legislative team.

Today's vote is long overdue. The May 10 compromise was expected to pave the way for quick consideration of all four of our pending free trade agreements, as well as the renewal of trade promotion authority. That hasn't happened as quickly as I would have liked. Still, today's vote is a critical first step, and I hope we can use this vote to build momentum toward implementing the next agreement in line, which is our trade agreement with Colombia. We should move the Colombia trade agreement as soon as possible, and I will work hard toward that outcome in the 110th Congress.

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