Washington, DC – Ways and Means Chairman Dave Camp (R-MI) and Trade Subcommittee Chairman Kevin Brady (R-TX) issued the following statements today after President Obama signed the three trade agreements with Colombia, Panama and South Korea:

Chairman Camp stated:  “Today’s signing of three jobs bills passed by Congress last week shows America is getting back in the game.  Finally, we are sending a signal to our competitors and allies alike that the United States is committed to a robust trade agenda that levels the playing field for American workers, consumers, and businesses and creates new markets for our goods and services.  But it’s more than that – with 95 percent of consumers living outside of the United States, we have to move ahead with such agreements or else our competitors in Europe and Canada will seize these markets from us and from our workers.  I commend the President for realizing that these trade agreements are a catalyst for creating hundreds of thousands of American jobs, something our economy desperately needs right now.
 
“Signing these trade agreements does not mean the job is done, though.  I urge the President to promptly implement all three agreements by certifying entry force as soon as possible.”

Trade Subcommittee Chairman Brady added: “Today has been a day nearly five years in the making. By signing these agreements and allowing them to enter in to force by the end of the year, we are making a significant step towards revitalizing America’s trade agenda. These trade agreements are sales agreements, and while we’ve waited for these sales agreements to be sent to Congress, our competitors have entered their own agreements with Colombia, Panama and South Korea. It’s not too late for America to catch up, but we must  level the playing field so that American workers and businesses can compete to win.

“These sales agreements prove to Americans that the President and Republicans can work together to pass job creating legislation. I commend the President and Ambassador Kirk for completing the agreements and working with us to pass them into law with a strong bipartisan vote.  This step is something we can build on, and I look forward to working with Chairman Camp and the Administration on opening up more opportunities to create jobs.”