The United States trade representative today said the administration would submit the United States-Korea free trade agreement to Congress "in the next few weeks." The submission would trigger a mandatory schedule for congressional action. Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa made the following comment on this development. Grassley is former chairman and ranking member of the Committee on Finance, with jurisdiction over international trade. He is a senior member of the committee.
"The trade representative's comment today about action on pending trade agreements is very good news, if it's not more lip service. The rest of the world has been moving forward with trade expansion, while this administration has put the United States on the sidelines, and it's been at the expense of America's workforce. Employers and entrepreneurs in manufacturing, agriculture and the service sector need new market opportunities to grow businesses and create jobs. The President's made a commitment to doubling U.S. exports. That's impossible to achieve on the margins, without trade agreements. The trade representative said the President intends to submit the U.S.-Korea trade agreement to Congress 'in the next few weeks.' This is the most specific timeframe the White House has offered on the agreement since reworking it last year. The White House should hold to this timeframe. A big, new export market is exactly what U.S. producers need right now. If and when the agreement comes to Congress, I'll do everything I can to help get it approved."
