Columbia Free Trade Agreement

Floor Speech

COLOMBIA FREE TRADE AGREEMENT -- (Senate - March 03, 2008)

Mr. CORKER. Mr. President, I actually rise today to talk about the Colombia Free Trade Agreement. I had the tremendous opportunity this weekend to travel to Colombia and spend time in Medellin with our Secretary of Commerce, our Secretary of Labor, the head of our SBA, Mr. Steve Preston, and also a bipartisan group of congressional Members.

Mr. President, I know you realize that just this last week, this body passed, on a voice vote, the Andean Trade Preference Agreement, which allows Colombia, along with other South American countries, to actually send goods into this country tariff free. Let me say that one more time. Last week, by voice vote, unanimously, this body agreed to extend the Andean Trade Preference Agreement that was first put in place in 1991 that allows Colombian companies to ship into this country tariff-free products for sale in our country.

The Colombia Free Trade Agreement would actually allow American companies--American companies, which employ Americans--to ship goods into Colombia. It is amazing to me we have not been able to vote on this agreement. I realize this has actually been used as a leverage point, if you will, by some of the major unions in our country to leverage us into maybe doing some other things.

I realize the other body, on the other side of the building, is the body that needs to take up this agreement. But I think most people realize what is taking place at this point in time.

I would like to go back in history and cause the American people to remember that Plan Colombia, where we, as a country, have invested $5.7 billion into the country of Colombia, is something that has been done on a bipartisan basis. This was started under President Clinton with a country that had a very fragile existence due to security, due to narcotics. It was something that was put in place to help our country be more secure. This has been carried through with the Bush administration.

Mr. President, I have to tell you, it has been incredible the progress that has taken place in Colombia, especially since the year 2002, under President Uribe's leadership. During that period of time, the country has become far more secure.

We were in a city that just a decade ago we would not have been able to travel to. Economic growth has continued; 32,000 members of paramilitary groups have actually put down their arms and come back into civil society in this country.

So we are at a point in time where this country has made tremendous strides. This country has made remarkable progress. They focused on human rights. Just in February of last year, they set up special prosecutors to focus on violence as it relates to union officials and have made tremendous progress.

As a matter of fact, today in Colombia, a place where union officials in the past had to worry about their safety, it is actually safer--by virtue of violence against union officials--it is safer to be a union official than it is another member of society: a teacher or someone else.

It makes no sense for any of us in this body to not want the Colombia Free Trade Agreement to come into existence because today they are able to sell products into our country tariff free, but we are not able to sell products into their country. If this trade agreement were to come about, Colombia would actually be held to international labor standards. So, in fact, the plight of labor there would be lessened. As a matter of fact, to have American companies playing a role in Colombia would also be something that would enhance human rights.

Over the weekend, a leader of one of the terrorist groups, FARC, which has wreaked havoc on the citizens there, was killed. It was something that was done certainly to create even more security there. We have seen the reaction today and yesterday of the leader of Venezuela, who has 4,000 to 6,000 troops on the Colombian border--in essence, a threat to that country.

Colombia has been a friend of our country for many years. They had people fighting side by side with us in the Korean war. They have been loyal friends. They have lived up to what we have asked them to do and are making even greater progress in some cases than we ever expected. This is about us honoring our friendships. This is about us honoring our commitments.

I will just say, as it relates to my own State, we have increased trade with Colombia, even under the arrangements that we have now where our companies have to pay tariffs on goods going into their country. In my own State, we would increase tremendously the amount of agricultural exports going into Colombia if this agreement were passed.

In conclusion, we have an ally in South America, an ally that is under immediate threat today but is under continual threat from countries nearby that harbor terrorists who commit terrorist acts against their country.

We have worked with them for years and have invested $5.7 billion or $5.8 billion into that country. Trade, we know, is a stabilizing factor. Right now, I think all of us understand that the leadership of the AFL-CIO and other organizations by virtue of their political relationships have been able to keep this treaty from passing, from being a part of our agreement with Colombia.

I think it is important for all of us to understand the negative impact that is having on our own States. As I mentioned earlier, farmers in my own State would benefit tremendously. Manufacturers of equipment would benefit tremendously. Chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturers would benefit tremendously. The fact is, in 2006, our trade with Colombia in my own State was up 49 percent, even with these tariffs in place.

So I hope the leadership of the body across the Hall will very soon allow the Members of that body to vote their conscience on this particular trade agreement; to not have a vote where they, in essence, direct people to vote against this agreement but allow people to vote for it because this is good for people all across America as it relates to employment. It is good for Colombia in that it shows that they are, in fact, our friend. It is good for our national security.

It is important for us to have in South America allies who think like we think and want to see democracy flourish, who want to see free trade, who want to see relationships with our people.

I think at this critical time, especially with the turmoil that is existing in that part of the world, it is important for us to pass this Colombia Free Trade Agreement.

Mr. President, I thank you for allowing me to express my views today. I hope we, as a body, will have the opportunity to pass this bill in the near future.

I yield the floor.

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