Dave Camp

Mr. CAMP

Mr. CAMP. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. I support H.R. 2832, the bill that renews the Generalized System of Preferences, known as GSP, and also contains the Trade Adjustment Assistance, also called TAA. This bill really is the cornerstone of the carefully crafted bipartisan and bicameral agreement that then prompted the President to send the three trade agreements to the Congress last Monday. So this has allowed us, this legislation today, has allowed us to move forward on a long-stalled trade agenda. The bill renews GSP, which the House passed last month, and that is the largest trade preference program and is estimated to account for 82,000 U.S. jobs that are directly or indirectly related to that program. The second portion of this bill, the bill that reauthorizes Trade Adjustment Assistance, is absolutely critical because it is one of the core items that has allowed these trade agreements to come forward. And this legislation really does ensure smaller government and less spending on an important program in these difficult economic times where we have a growing debt and deficit. This program was streamlined and scaled back, and just quickly I'll note some of the highlights. There is no TAA for public sector workers. The number of weeks was reduced from 156 in the 2009 law down to 117 weeks. Also, there is no double-dipping. These benefits run concurrently with current unemployment insurance, or UI benefits, and the health care subsidy was reduced in this legislation. We also eliminated half of the allowable justifications for the program's training waivers to ensure that those who are eligible for TAA are in those training programs with only limited exceptions. We also consolidated and reduced all the non-income support expenditures. We reduced funding for the TAA for firms, and also added enhanced performance measures. Now, no worker will qualify for this unless certified by the Department of Labor. This is an important attempt to bring some reform and integrity to our unemployment programs, particularly by strengthening the job training provision where 80 percent of the waivers were used to waive people out of the requirement they job train. This is an important reform; and it's going to be an important reform in this bill to make sure we implement it so as we move forward on the employment insurance debate later this year, as the gentleman from Washington State alluded to, we actually have a track record on some of these items and can see how they're at least beginning to work. So I urge my colleagues to support not only all three trade agreements, but also what really was the cornerstone for bringing those three trade agreements to the floor, H.R. 2832. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CAMP. I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Kelly).

Mr. CAMP. Madam Speaker, I would advise the gentleman from Washington that I have no other speakers and am prepared to close. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CAMP. I yield the gentleman an additional 1 minute.

Mr. CAMP. I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CAMP. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Speaker may postpone further proceedings on the motion to concur in the Senate amendment to H.R. 2832 as though under clause 8(a)(1)(A) of rule XX.

Mr. CAMP. At this time, Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to a distinguished member of the Ways and Means Committee, the gentlewoman from Kansas (Ms. Jenkins).

Mr. CAMP

Mr. CAMP. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to a distinguished member of the Ways and Means Committee, the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Davis).

Mr. CAMP. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I would just say, this agreement will create new market access for U.S. exporters of consumer and industrial products. Over 87 percent of our exports to Panama will become duty-free immediately, with the remaining tariffs to be phased out that are left over a 10-year period. This will cut by more than half the average 8 percent tariff that our exporters face. This will provide U.S. firms with an advantage over major competitors from Europe and Asia. And because Panama recently signed an agreement with the EU, our advantage is dependent on having our agreement enter into force immediately. So it's not just about what the U.S. and Panama are doing in a vacuum; it's about what the rest of the world is doing as well. As I said, there are key export sectors that get immediate duty-free treatment: aircraft, construction equipment, fertilizers, medical and scientific equipment. This levels the playing field for our exporters versus importers from Panama, and this agreement will create new opportunities for our farmers and ranchers. More than half of the current U.S. farm exports to Panama will become duty-free immediately. It gives our U.S. farmers an advantage over our EU and Canadian competitors. Our exports in agriculture to Panama now face a 15 percent average tariff. Our exports of pork, rice, soybeans and wheat, and most fresh fruit will receive immediate duty-free treatment, while our competitors in Asia and Europe will continue to face tariffs on those commodities as high as 90 percent. And that's why you've seen great support, both bipartisan, for this agreement. The American Farm Bureau estimates that the increase in farm exports to Panama alone could increase our agricultural exports by $46 million a year. Obviously, this agreement also provides our access to Panamanian services markets. It will give our U.S. service firms market access, national treatment, regulatory transparency, and that is going to be very helpful as we continue to try to grow our economy and create jobs here in the United States. I would agree with my friend from Massachusetts, Panama has improved their tax transparency; and because of the cooperation, adoption of the Tax Information Exchange Agreement, as well as other numerous double taxation treaties that I won't repeat that he referenced, they have been removed by the OECD from the so-called ``gray list'' to join countries such as the United States that meet internationally-agreed-to tax standards. So by almost any measure, this agreement is positive, and it is something that we should strongly support. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CAMP. I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Washington (Mr. Hastings). (Mr. HASTINGS of Washington asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. CAMP

Mr. CAMP. I reserve a point of order.

Mr. CAMP

Mr. CAMP. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Moran).

Mr. CAMP. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to a distinguished member of the Ways and Means Committee, the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Davis).

Mr. CAMP. I yield the gentleman an additional 30 seconds.

Mr. CAMP. Does the gentleman from Michigan have any additional speakers?

Mr. CAMP. At this time I yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentleman from Texas (Mr. Canseco).

Mr. CAMP. I yield the gentleman an additional 15 seconds.

Mr. CAMP. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Quayle).

Mr. CAMP. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. At this time I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from North Dakota (Mr. Berg), a distinguished member of the Ways and Means Committee.

Mr. CAMP

Mr. CAMP. Madam Speaker, I would just note that in countries that we have trade agreements with, we have a surplus in manufacturing exports. With that, I would yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Westmoreland).

Mr. CAMP. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished member of the Ways and Means Committee, the gentleman from Louisiana, Dr. Boustany.

Mr. CAMP. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. CAMP. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Pence). (Mr. PENCE asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. CAMP. If the gentleman would continue to yield, I look forward to continuing to work together with you and your colleagues in the Textile Caucus to work to address your concerns and ensure that the USTR is aware of industry concerns and that Customs adequately prioritizes its trade enforcement responsibility, particularly as it relates to textiles.

Mr. CAMP. If the gentleman would yield, actually the tariff asymmetry works the other way around. By value, 73 percent of U.S. textile exports to South Korea would receive duty-free treatment immediately upon entering into force. In contrast, only 52 percent of South Korean textile exports to the U.S. by value would become duty-free immediately. So, in addition, it's worth noting that South Korean exports to the United States have fallen by 50 percent over the past 5 years, while U.S. exports to South Korea have nearly doubled.