Another Editorial Criticizes Obama For Holding Up Free Trade Agreements

An image from May, 2008
Does Obama Still Opposes Free Trade?

In a must-read editorial today, Wisconsin’s Green Bay Press-Gazette writes, “On his recent Midwest bus tour, President Barack Obama bashed obstructionists in Congress for blocking passage of free-trade accords with Colombia, Panama and South Korea. If only these opponents would get out of the way, he suggested, these agreements would be law, American exports would rise and more jobs would be created.

“But Obama left something out. The agreements can't be passed until the administration submits them to Congress, and it has not yet done this, although a spokeswoman for the U.S. Trade Representative said the administration ‘has been eager’ to do that. It's nice to hear they're so eager, although the sentiment would be more convincing if the agreements were actually submitted.”

Indeed, though the president has repeatedly called on Congress to pass these free trade agreements that were negotiated years ago, Democrats in Congress and the White House have in fact continually stalled them. There is a lot of double speak going on in the Obama administration.   Colombia, Panama and South Korea. align more with  democracy and American principles than the countries run by tinpot dictators and radical not aligned with American ideals.   What is the White House's real back door agenda?

And there have been consequences for American businesses, as the Press-Gazette points out. “Colombia's ambassador to the United States, Gabriel Silva Lujan, notes that U.S. farmers once claimed 46 percent of Colombia's food import market. Now the proportion is 20 percent — and likely to go lower. A free trade pact between Colombia and Canada, another big wheat exporter, went into effect last week. Colombia is the sixth-largest market for Caterpillar, another big U.S. exporter. But Caterpillar's products, too, may be at a disadvantage in Colombia's growing mining sector, as Colombians seek alternatives free of the tariff-based mark-ups applied to U.S. products. All of this makes little sense when you consider that U.S. tariffs on Colombian goods are already minimal, while their tariffs on our goods remain quite stiff. The agreement would lower that barrier.”

The editorial continues, “As Obama himself once said, ‘If America sits on the sidelines while other nations sign trade deals, we will lose the chance to create jobs on our shores. We have to seek new markets aggressively, just as our competitors are.’ Well said, Mr. President. Now please submit the agreements.”

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell obviously agrees with the editorials position. He said earlier this month, “Expanding trade with these allies will create jobs and opportunities but they have been delayed since the President came to office. At a time when millions of Americans are out of work and businesses are looking for opportunities to hire, we must do everything we can to create an environment where jobs can come back. So it is my hope that the President, who continues to refuse to send these agreements to Congress while simultaneously calling for Congress to act, will finally resolve this contradiction by sending the agreements immediately . . . .”

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