United States-Australia Free Trade Implementation Act

UNITED STATES-AUSTRALIA FREE TRADE IMPLEMENTATION ACT -- (House of Representatives - July 14, 2004)

Mr. THOMAS. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 712, I call up the bill (H.R. 4759) to implement the United States-Australia Free Trade Agreement, and ask for its immediate consideration.

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Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise to comment on the exceptional relationship between Australia and the United States.

On this day that we are voting on this Free Trade Agreement, Mr. Speaker, we should take a minute to express our gratitude, our deep gratitude, to the Australians for their support in the international war on terror. Their support in the aftermath of September 11, Mr. Speaker, both in Afghanistan and in Iraq is a testament, a very strong testament, again to the strength of this alliance between the two countries. The Australians have also been touched, unfortunately, tragically, by terrorism when 88 Australians died in the Bali bombings of 2002.

Mr. Speaker, in friendship we will continue to reach out to them as they have to us. On this day we thank our mates down under for this friendship and commend them for their commitment to negotiating this Free Trade Agreement. Anyone, Mr. Speaker, anyone, who questions the strength of our alliance is, frankly, just out of touch or, to quote the famous slang used by our friends in Australia, they have "too many kangaroos loose in the top paddock."