WASHINGTON - Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa today joined a group of Republican senators in urging President Obama to submit the pending trade agreements with Colombia, Panama, and South Korea to Congress for a vote. Grassley said the United States has fallen behind other countries in implementing trade agreements and negotiating potential new trade agreements, calling that unacceptable when so many Americans need jobs and trade supports jobs in the United States.
"Nothing has been done and the United States is losing its leadership in what we've done for 60 years in world trade, leading the rest of the world," Grassley said. "The status quo has to end. The United States has to re-assume its leadership. And that's not only for the benefit of the United States. That's for the benefit of expanding the world economic pie."
Just a few years ago, under a different White House, the Senate passed implementing legislation for free trade agreements with 13 countries (Australia, Bahrain, Chile, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Morocco, Nicaragua, Oman, Singapore, Peru), Grassley said. The current White House has not initiated any new trade agreements. While this White House is engaged in negotiations of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, that's a carryover from the prior Administration, he said.
Grassley is a senior member and former chairman and ranking member of the Finance Committee, with jurisdiction over international trade.
Video of Grassley's remarks at today's news conference is available here.
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