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Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton
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Current Office: U.S. Secretary of State
First Appointed: 01/21/2009
Party: Democratic
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BiographicalVoting RecordIssue Positions
(Political Courage Test)Interest Group RatingsPosition PapersSpeeches and Public StatementsAdditional Biographical InformationCampaign Finances
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Title: United States-Austrailia Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act
Date: 07/15/2004
Location: Washington DC
Speech
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD
SENATE
UNITED STATES-AUSTRALIA FREE TRADE AGREEMENT IMPLEMENTATION ACT
Mrs. CLINTON. Mr. President, today the Senate will vote on the Australia Free Trade Agreement. Because I believe this agreement offers greater access to Australian markets for U.S. manufacturers as well help solidify a long-term relationship with Australia, a leading ally of the United States on a whole host of international challenges, I will vote in support of this agreement.
The Australia Free Trade Agreement will offer new opportunities for U.S. manufacturers as well as granting substantial access to U.S. services suppliers, including telecoms, financial services, express delivery, and professional services providers. These sectors are a critical part of New York's economy. Furthermore, Australia has been a stalwart ally of the U.S. and this agreement is another step in cementing that relationship.
I share the concerns raised by some of my colleagues regarding the drug importation language in the agreement. Quite simply, the United States Trade Representative should not be negotiating agreements that could impact on the drug importation debate and I have grave concerns about the inclusion of this language in the agreement. Similarly, in the Chile and Singapore agreements, I raised concerns about the inclusion of immigration provisions in those agreements. The continuing practice of the United States Trade Representative of including provisions in trade agreements which are rightfully in the jurisdiction of Congress is deeply troubling.
During my tenure as a Senator, I have voted for every trade agreement that has come before the Senate. However, I will find it difficult to support future trade agreements which contain language that impedes the jurisdiction of Congress regarding drug importation or other issues
While I wish the agreement had included provisions that provided greater market access for New York agriculture, I believe that a genuine effort was made to address the legitimate concerns of New York and other States' farmers and that, on balance, New York's economy will benefit from this agreement.
Despite my concerns over the drug importation provisions, I believe that, in the aggregate, New York will benefit more from having this agreement pass than if it failed. I also believe it sends a positive signal to Australia about the importance of the United States-Australia relationship. The Trade Representative should not make the mistake of concluding that a vote for the Australia Free Trade Agreement is a vote in support of this troubling drug importation provision.
When deciding how to vote on trade agreements, I look at each agreement in its totality and measure the impact of each agreement on the New Yorkers that I am privileged to represent. Because I believe that passage of the Australia Free Trade agreement will lead to more jobs and greater economic growth in industries that are an important part of New York's economy as well as strengthening the U.S. relationship with Australia, I will vote in support of this agreement.
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