OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

Cloture Motion

Floor Speech

Date: May 12, 2015
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Business and Consumers

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Mr. MERKLEY. Mr. President, a few moments ago, we heard an argument that this envisioned trade agreement will increase the number of products that are stamped ``Made in America,'' ``Made in the United States of America.'' Certainly that is the argument that has been put forward for trade agreement after trade agreement after trade agreement.

The first step in the process is to say: Look at those markets. Wouldn't it be wonderful in that nation if we had direct access, improved access?

Particularly, we have done a series of agreements with very low-wage, low-environmental standards, low-enforcement nations. Well, that is the first stage.

Then the second stage becomes: Now that we have this broader connection, we are competing with products made in that country, so we better make sure we open a factory there as well. And then suddenly, instead of those products coming from the United States to a foreign nation, in fact, those products are being made in that foreign nation.

Then comes stage three: Oh, now that we are making those products overseas at a much lower price because of the lower wages and lower environmental standards and lower enforcement, it does not make sense to make those products in the United States anymore.

So that is how we lost 5 million manufacturing jobs in America. That is how we lost 50,000 factories in America. So for those who want to put forward the chimera, the illusion, the mirage that somehow this is going to increase American production, American citizens should know, in fact, that is a false promise--a false promise that has been put out time after time after time and shown to be wrong again and again and again.

Let's think about this: Why would you pave a path to put the workers in your State directly in competition with workers earning 60 cents an hour? Tell me that is advantageous to making things in your nation, and I will tell you, you are wrong.

So let's not go down a path in which we pave a highway to essentially destroy American manufacturing, to disrupt American manufacturing, to decrease the competitiveness of living wages here in the United States of America. Let's enhance and strengthen our position in the world, not undermine it.

Thank you, Mr. President.

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