America Gives More Act of 2015
Floor Speech
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Mr. SCALISE. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Wisconsin for his leadership in bringing this bill to the floor.
Mr. Speaker, American trade is critical to strengthening our economy and to giving American workers the competitive advantage that we need so we can go out and sell more of our goods all around the world.
There aren't many impediments for foreign countries to bring their products into our countries and sell their goods here, but there are many, many impediments when we want to sell our products that we make, by American workers, to foreign countries, especially in Asian countries and European countries.
Those countries right now, our allies around the world, want to get good trade agreements, good level playing fields, so that we can have good negotiated trade back and forth and sell more of our products in those countries.
But right now China is writing the rules while America sits on the sidelines. We are not a country that sits on the sidelines, Mr. Speaker.
This bill gets us in the game so America can go out and our workers can compete on a level playing field and we can sell more of our products overseas.
But something else that this bill does, Mr. Speaker, is it actually gives Congress a direct say in the process, every step of the way. We lay out criteria, things that cannot be in trade deals, protections against immigration and global warming-type issues being included in these trade deals.
But it also gives transparency, strong and enforceable rules so that any agreement that is reached would have to be available online, not just for us to read, as Members of Congress, but for the entire Nation to read for at least 60 days before there is even a vote in Congress. And then, of course, Congress would have the ultimate veto authority over a bad deal if it was sent.
This bill is critical to getting America back in the game so our workers can be competitive. And when America competes on a level playing field, we win.
Let's go create those American jobs by passing this bill.
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