And it's the American worker who will suffer. What I'm most concerned about is the vacuum of leadership on international issues that is left by the United States relinquishing this traditional role. Ever since the first Reciprocal Trade Agreements Act of 1934, the United States has led the world in reducing barriers to trade. And we have benefitted greatly from this leadership. American workers are the most productive, highest-paid workers in the world.
American companies produce the highest quality products.
And American consumers have more choices of goods and pay less of their income on necessities, such as food, than consumers of any other country. These are the benefits that we have enjoyed because we've been willing to lead on trade. This leadership is now being questioned by our trading partners. They are moving on without us. They're forming regional and bilateral trading arrangements that don't include the United States.