Providing for Consideration of Senate Amendment t HR 2832 Extending the Generalized System of Preferences; Providing for Consideration of HR 3028, United States-Columbia Trade Promotion Agreement Implementation Act; Providing for Consideration of HR 3079

Floor Speech

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I feel a sense of urgency about passage of the FTAs before us. Urgency because while we have been waiting on the passage of the agreements, South Korea has moved forward on trade with Europe, and Colombia and Panama are moving forward on several bilaterals of their own with Canada, China, and others.

And trade is never just about economics. It's also about our relationships with other nations, our allies. It's about strengthening the rule of law, and it's about deepening ties. A recent report by the Council on Foreign Relations said it well, ``Trade has been and remains a major strategic instrument of American foreign policy. It binds together countries in a broad and deep economic network that constitutes a bulwark against conflict.'' But let me also talk specifically about the Colombia free trade agreement.

Many of my colleagues have talked today about the violent past in Colombia and of the remaining vestiges of that past. Having traveled extensively in Colombia over the last decade, I can tell you personally that Colombia is not what it used to be. It's far from it. Even if it is not where it wants to be just yet, there has been major progress in Colombia, and this has been with a tremendous amount of cooperation with and between our great nations. The agreement with Colombia certainly has its many economic benefits for America. We are leveling the playing field for American business.

Beyond that, what I want to emphasize right now is a role that the agreement plays in strengthening the rule of law, specifically as it relates to labor. The agreed-upon action plan between the Obama administration and the Santos administration brings about important changes that labor groups in Colombia have sought to solidify for years. In fact, several labor organizations in Colombia made public statements about the importance of the action plan. One of Colombia's major labor federations lauded the action plan, signifying that, if one of the results of the FTA is the advancement of labor and is an increase in the guarantees to exercise freedom of association, then the FTAs are welcome. Moreover, the federation and others have stated that this action plan will continue to fight against impunity.

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Mr. MEEKS. I am pleased to say that just last month, the Obama administration announced that Colombia has fully complied with its commitments under the Labor Action Plan that was set for completion in mid-September. At the same time, the State Department also notified that Colombia is meeting statutory criteria relating to human rights that call for the obligation of U.S. assistance funds for the Colombian Armed Forces.

Let's pass this agreement.

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