61 



begin to address the issue — really the issue you're addressing is a 

 much larger and a very profound one. 



Then we will be able to look at future agreements in light of 

 what we have done in the largest expanded trade area in the world 

 in a very meaningful way. I think we will address your problem — 

 maybe not directly — but we're starting to address it indirectly in a 

 fairly meaningful way. 



Mr. Barlow. Just in closing, I think we have to start addressing 

 it in this agreement. 



Thank you, sir. 



Ambassador Kantor. Thank you. 



Mr. English. Mr. Inslee. 



Mr. Inslee. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 



I would like to ask you a question about the relationship of our 

 foreign trade policy. ITie reason I do that is that for two or three 

 decades the American taxpayer has been funding the defense of the 

 free world, oftentimes, funding the defense of trading partners who 

 are dear friends but who don't recognize a comparable level of ex- 

 panded or free trade. 



Isn't it about time that we start to at least consider using the 

 right to stand under the American taxpayer's military umbrella 

 and use that as a lever in an effort to achieve our expanded trade 

 aims for which you are so diligently going to fight? 



Ambassador Kantor. The President in his speech addressed your 

 very good question in a very direct way. He said that our national 

 security depends on our economic security at home; that no longer 

 would our trade policy be driven by foreign policy and national se- 

 curity concerns; and that we need to engage in global growth and 

 expanded trade in order to grow not only our economy, but the 

 world's economy. But we expect our trading partners to take their 

 fair share and to come along with us. 



That is really the key to what you're sajdng. We couldn't agree 

 more with you. The President has said it, and as USTR, I am going 

 to follow that policy. I agree with exactly what you just said. 



Mr. Inslee. Thank you. 



Mr. English. Mrs. Thurman. 



Mrs. Thurman. Mr. Ambassador, I apologize for not being here 

 earlier. However, out of the nine counties I represent in Florida, 

 seven of them have been hit by the disastrous weather in Florida 

 so we have been trying to work on some of those issues. So not only 

 am I trying to deal with the North American Free-Trade Agree- 

 ment, but I am soon going to have to deal with damage by water 

 and freezes to the agricultural community in the State of Florida. 

 I hope you keep that in mind. 



I guess the issue for us is — while you may know that the agricul- 

 tural community is about a $6 billion industry in the State of Flor- 

 ida, we grow or have about 240 different crops, and we provide at 

 peak times probably around 250,000 jobs. 



I guess the question for some of us — I will tell you the Governor 

 aiid the Cabinet, the Senate and the House have all signed resolu- 

 tions and sent them here as well as a delegation in Florida that 

 has pulled together on this issue probably more than I have ever 

 seen before in an issue objecting to what is happening in NAFTA. 

 Quite honestly, as far back as in April, they asked us to partici- 



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