Date: 1993-11-17
Speaker: DR LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman and my colleagues. I come here as the chairman of the Committee on Agriculture. as a Representative of the 15th District of Texas. and as a HispanicAmerican whose family has lived on the border of the Rio Grande for over 300 years. Like one or two of the previous speakers said. I cannot explain the agricultural section of NAFTA in this few minutes. Nor can I explain everything that has been misrepresented about what has been done in NAFTA. So let me just say for some of my colleagues on this side: This was started by a Republican President. It was negotiated by a Republican trade ambassador. Carla Hills. But all of us worked with them. trying to protect the interests of our constituencies. me on the border and as chairman of the Committee on Agriculture for all U.S. agriculture. There has been much criticism and finger pointing about the administration. "They did this. they promised that." My friends that is what our constituencies demanded that we do. We have taken care of the sugar industry. Why? Because the American sugar industry is one of the Industries that provides the Jobs that everyone has been speaking about. And the same is true of the concerns with peanuts and all of the other areas in agriculture that were not fully addressed in the preliminary agreement when it was negotiated. And that is what we are doing. I am proud that we did it. I am here to support it and support the agreement. I feel very strongly that no one can point the finger and say. "They are buying votes." No. I was working for American interests and American agriculture. Also. let me say I share blood with the Mexican people. And the xenophobic. antiMexico slurs that have made the rounds here. Including from some Members of this House. I resent that. I resent that very much. You know what some Members want to do? They want a Mexican Government run by the Government of the United States. We tried that. and it did not work. But we took twothirds of Mexico in the process. My dear friends. that is the history: Texas. New Mexico. Arizona. California. part of Oregon. part of Utah. part of Colorado. almost all of Kansas. that was Mexico. That was Mexico. I dare say. with all due respect. a war was started in order to sign a treaty that gave the United States of America all of that territory. We cannot go into Mexico and Americanize it. We cannot tell the Mexican people. "You do this because we want you to do it." That is an insult to a neighbor. to a friend. to a whole people. regardless of their personal politics. Yes. they have a long way to go. I am not here defending Mexico. I am defending the blood that I share with those people. Now. our colleagues. about the antiMexican slurs. can you imagine what they would say about the blacks? Can you imagine what they would say about our Jewish brethren. our Hungarians. our Greeks. our Italians. our Irish? That is not the American way. We cannot expect to Americanize the world. We cannot call the President of Mexico a dictator. I do not know who voted for him or who did not. but we do not have that right. It is an abuse to the people of Mexico that any one of our Members would stand here and say. "This .is how Mexico should be. this is how I say Mexico should act." There was mention about trucks. for example. I checked into that. They have the same agreement. the same rules that we do. But the worst thing is the way that the people of Mexico have been depicted. the way the Government of Mexico has been insulted. and that is not right. That really should not be the issue. The issue Is that this is a good agreement. maybe not a perfect agreement. but a good one. It will bring jobs. and we should vote yes. Some have. criticized the recent letters of understanding reached to deal with certain agricultural Issues. My colleagues. do not fault those who represent agricultural areas for their desire to strike the best deal possible for their constituents. American agriculture is not saying no to this NAFTA. They realize closer economic ties with Mexico and Canada Is In the best longterm Interests. They are only asking that there be fair trading rules In place to deal with their competitors in Mexico and Canada. My friends. this Is the NAFTA that this Congress should and must approve. This Is a trade agreement that Is in our national inter. est. Let me speak briefly about the agricultural trade aspects of NAFTA This NAFrA. while not perfect. does provide American agriculture with the opportunity to lockin and expand Its sales to Mexico. our third and fastest growing market for United States agricultural exports. Under NAFTA. Mexico would be required. as would we. to eliminate or phase down agdcultural tariffs over a period of up to 15 years. depending on the commodity. Nontariff barriers. such as quotas and Import licenses. would also be converted to tariffrate quotas and subject to similar phasedowns. Many of our exports to Mexico would Increase Immediately. But even greater gains for American farmers and American food Industries and their workers will be realized over time as NAFTA helps Improve the Mexican standard of living. By the end of the 15year transition period. annual United States agricultural exports are projected to graw by $2.0 billon to $2.5 bion on top of the $4 billion in agriculturl sales we made to Mexico last yer. because of NAFTA. By ft and of the 1"-yer tAn~to period. American farm cash receipts al Increase by 3 percent over projected levels. because of NAFTA. By the end of the 15year transition period. additional agricultural exports will add over 50.000 jobs to the U.S. economy. because of NAFTA. Under NAFTA. all agricultural commodities would be- eligible for NAFTAs general safeguard provisions to protect them from Import surges triggered on the basis of Import volume. Under NAFTA. strict rules of orgin for agdcultural products will prevent thirdparty counties from using Mexico as an export platform to gain dutyfree access to the United States market. Only North American producers can obtain the benefits of the. tariff preferences NAFTA provides. I am confident American farmers can compete on the more level playing field this NAFTA and the letters of understanding will provide. The reality Is that Mexican farm production overall cannot keep pace with the present level of domestic demand. Twothirds of Mexico Is desert or mountain terrain. Mexicos population of 90 million Is expected to grow to over 100 million by the end of the decade. Even with NAFTA. even with the changes In the farm structure In Mexico and the use of technology and mechanization. Mexican agriculture wig not be able to feet Its people by Itself. It simply does not have the land or water to do It With NAFTA. American farmers and ranchers can be assured they are the suppliers with preferential access to meet Mexicos Increasing food needs. That is what NAFTA will do for American agriculture and for rural America. This trade agreement Is obviously vital to the State of Texas and the people who ive along the border with Mexico. I have worked for more than 2 years to ensure that the concorns of the people of south Texas are addressed In some form or fashion In this trade agreement For my south Texas district this NAFTA paves the way for greater trade opportunities and greater attention to environmental conditions. I would hope the administration moves qulcdy to establish the Good Neighbor Environmental Board. already signed into law. to garner the public Input so critical to the setting of environmental Improvement priorities along the border. Finally. I want to mention what this NAFTA debate .as meant to me as a Hispanic from Texas. My family and their ancestors have lived In south Texas for some 300 years. My family Is part of a culture linked to both America and Mexico. And I am very proud of that. What has bothered me in this NAFTA debate is the Inaccurate. misleading and unfair characterizations of Mexico and the Mexican people made by some opponents of NAFTA. Americans are better than this. Our country must look to It future. For years. Mexicans have viewed their neighbor to. the north as the lend of economic opportunity. I believe It Is time Americana start to think of our neighbor to the south as a parter as a way of linproving our own economic security by impvi Mexcos economic eoWity. The eoomoric catalyst provided by NAFTA Is essenal to achieving these goals. For wlthout a more stable economy and a higher standard of lMng. Mexico cannot afford to Improve Its pesticide use standards or vigorously enforce environmental laws on Its polluting Industdes. Without NAFTA. Mexican families hungering for economic opportunities will continue to gravitate nort And without NAFTA. lowskilled American workers will continue to loes o. Let us not squander this historic opportunity to expand our markets. boost our economy and promote better relations with our neighbors. Our past demands It our future requires It. NAFTA Is our opportunity to lay the foundkton for a better. more prosperous economy for all three countries and for future generations. Mr. Chairman. I would like to insert Into the RECORD at this point the letters of understanding that have been reached for the varIous agricultural commodities. THE WIIrs Housz. Washington. November 15. 1993.