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THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
February 26, 2008
REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT
AFTER A MEETING WITH FORMER CABINET SECRETARIES
AND SENIOR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS ON FREE TRADE AGREEMENTS
Room 350
Dwight D. Eisenhower Executive Office Building
2:11 P.M. EST
THE PRESIDENT: I just had a fascinating
meeting with folks who have served our country nobly in
the past. I thank them for coming. I've got Democrats here,
Republicans are here, concerned citizens. And our discussion
was the trade bill with Colombia.
The trade bill with Colombia is a really
important piece of legislation for America's national security.
A stable neighborhood is in our interests. We want people
to be prosperous, we want people to be free, we want people
to feel comfortable about making, you know, the tough decisions
that democracy requires. And the trade bill with Colombia
would say a clear message to a strong democratic ally: We
support you; we support you in your efforts.
A defeat of the trade bill with Colombia
would send a contradictory message. It would embolden the
false populism that exists on the continent. It would send
a chilling signal to our allies, and it would harm national
security of the United States.
We also talked about the economic benefits.
Many of the Colombian goods come into our country duty-free,
it seems like we ought to be treated the same way by sending
our products into their countries. And this will particularly
benefit small businesses and farmers and ranchers.
And I want to thank you for your suggestions
on how to advance this trade bill; how we can work with
both Republicans and Democrats to get this trade bill out
of the Senate. It's in the nation's interests. A lot of
time people think about trade, it's just an economic issue.
In this case, it is a national security issue, and one that
the members of both parties must take seriously. And I repeat
that if the trade bill with Colombia is defeated, it will
harm the national security interests of the country.
And I thank you all for coming. I appreciate
your time. Thank you for your advice.
END 2:13 P.M. EST
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