Walz Intends to Vote for South Korea Free Trade Deal

Statement

Today, Representative Tim Walz announced he intends to support the South Korea Free Trade Agreement as delivered to Congress. He intends to oppose the Panama and Columbia trade deals.

He released the following statement:

"When done right, I firmly believe fair trade agreements have the potential to create jobs for American workers, greater demand for American products and growth for the US economy. That is exactly the kind of policy we need to pursue in times like these. In southern Minnesota, the Korea Free Trade Agreement is an exciting prospect for many of our farmers and I believe this deal is a net win for Minnesota.

But even when trade deals do result in more total jobs, specific industries may lay off workers as the economy adjusts to new conditions. That is why I'm a strong supporter of Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA). TAA helps workers and businesses rise to meet the challenges of global competition and is essential to a balanced trade policy. 



I also believe that as the leader of the free world, the United States must be guided in its trade policy by our values. Although improvements have been made in recent years, Colombia still has one of the worst human rights records in the western hemisphere, especially when it comes to the rights of workers. In light of this record, I am opposed to any trade agreement with Colombia which does not make a dramatic and sustained improvement to human rights and the rule of law in Colombia. Additionally, I am concerned about the instability and corruption of Panama's financial institutions and oppose that agreement without a tougher crackdown on those abuses. "

Source