Washington, DC – Ranking Member Dave Camp (R-MI) and Trade Subcommittee Ranking Member Kevin Brady (R-TX) today issued the following statement on the upcoming third anniversary of the signing of the U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement this Sunday, November 22:

Congressman Dave Camp said, “The President rightly said recently that increasing exports creates well-paying jobs without increasing government spending.  It’s now been three years since the U.S.-Colombia trade promotion agreement was signed, and I am encouraged by Chairman Rangel’s probing of the Administration on timing for a path forward.”

Camp further noted that, “Our agreements with South Korea and Panama are also in limbo.  Last week the President noted that increasing U.S. exports by just 1% can create 250,000 jobs.  The independent U.S. International Trade Commission has found that the three pending agreements would increase U.S. exports by at least this amount.  It is time for the President to move beyond the rhetoric and make these agreements happen.”

Congressman Kevin Brady said, “This weekend’s anniversary of the languishing Colombia agreement is but one example of many demonstrating that America no longer leads on trade.  A succession of Democratic and Republican Administrations had always kept the United States at the head of the pack, but now America has fallen behind.  Other nations are racing ahead of the U.S. to open markets for their products and services, creating jobs for their workers to our detriment, all because the Obama Administration has been sitting on the sidelines.  The President must put America back at the head of the pack by moving forward to implement our pending agreements.”

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