Date: 1993-11-17
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Chairman. In a matter of hours. this body will vote on the North American FreeTrade Agreement. finally putting to an end months of hype and hysteria. What has been at the root of this frenzy? Fear and misinformation. As one who knows the danger of ignorance and the destructive power wielded by fear. I would like to talk briefly on why I am supporting NAFTA. After over 9 months of research. investigation. and deliberation. last week I announced my support for NAFTA. I listened to constituents. labor representatives. small business owners. large business representatives. and environmentalists. Of every businessman who came in my office. I asked the same question. will NAFTA cause you to increase your employment in my district? Every single one of those CEOs. large and small. said that they could add workers as a result of NAFTA. Last year. Texas exported $19 billion to Mexico. Those are American Jobs. If NAFTA passes. the DallasFort Worth metroplex alone will see an increase of 75.600 Jobs. But NAFTA is not about Texas. it is about this Nation and its future. Labor laws that guarantees the right of membership. strike. and so forth. are written into the Constitution of Mexico. It is a rare occasion when a political issue captures the attention of the American population the way NAFTA has. However. one of my greatest disappointments with this debate has been the polarization which has occurred as a result of the fears which have been played on all too well by NAFTAs opponents. Many of my colleagues have decided to vote against NAFTA out of the fear that NAFTA will inordinately impact the black commufity. and say it is easier for me to support NAFTA because I am from Texas. But I believe NAFTA is an opportunity for all black Americans. And the true challenge of leadership is to identify an opportunity and seize it. I would like to share a few statistics on NAFTA and its impact on black people. Last year. the United States exported over $4 billion in motor vehicles and parts to Mexico11.5 percent of the workers who produced those parts were black Americans. Those Jobs are exportbased Jobs located in this country. We exported $1.5 billion in other manufactured goods to Mexico last year10.3 percent of employees in the manufactured goods sector are black Americans. Those are American jobs in this country. Some of the biggest opponents of NAFTA have been blacks in labor organizations. their greatest fear: Job loss. According to the Department of Labor. 36.7 percent of all union members are Government employeesFederal. State. and local. Those jobs are not going to Mexico. Blacks comprise 13.4 percent of workers in transportation services. It is only logical that if trade Increases. employment in this sector will increase. too. Those jobs will not go to Mexico. Right now. there are approximately 67.000 blacks employed in jobs tied to exports to Mexico and that number will increase as we export more. There is another side of this discussion which I would like to address before I yield and that is NAFTAs impact on black businesses. The national coalition of 100 Black Women recently stated. the appetite for goods and services in Mexico could be a major boost to the influx of new capital into the black cottage Industry. Black female entrepreneurs in this industry. many of whom experienced the glass ceilingthe invisible barrier that prevents women and minorities from climbing too high on the corporate totem pole--could seize the opportunity to create trading relationships that fuel a longterm period of economic gain and business growth. NAFTA represents a tremendous opportunity for black businesses and this Nation. I cannot deny that blacks are particularly sensitive to the economic health of the national economy. But I must point out that our national economy is increasingly dependent on our exports. With the fierce competition which lies beyond our shores. we cannot let ourselves be paralyzed by fear. We must continue to strive to create opportunity. hope. and jobs. NAFTA will create those opportunities. for blacks. hispanics. white men. and women. and lead us into the next century.