And I'll carefully study how this proposal addresses these areas. And I would remind the opponents of fast track that increased trade, which leads to an increased standard of living, is often the best way to raise the labor and environmental standards in other countries. If Congress is to delegate its constitutional authority to regulate foreign commerce, we must have assurances that we are intimately involved in the process. I'm also confident that the American people expect Congress to be involved and to represent their viewpoint on free trade agreements. Finally, I'm interested in the priority of agriculture in future trade agreements.
Agriculture remains one of the most protected industries in many countries.
And it's a sector that the U.S. enjoys a substantial comparative advantage over our trading partners. So we need to continue the progress made in the Uruguay Round on opening new markets for U.S. agriculture exports. I do want to commend the President for listing agriculture as a priority negotiating objective. The proposal specifically addresses the trade problems associated with state trading enterprises, biotechnology, and unjustified sanitary and phytosanitary restrictions. These issues are all very important to the continued prosperity of the American farmer.