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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";color:navy'>As Members of President’s Export Council, Stabenow and Brown Raise Concerns Over Effects of Proposed <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";color:navy'>U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement on American Workers, Business; Stress Trade Enforcement<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";color:navy'>Jul 20,2010<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";color:navy'><a href="http://bignews.biz/?id=894892&pg=1&keys=Senator-Debbie-Stabenow-TradeAgreement">http://bignews.biz/?id=894892&pg=1&keys=Senator-Debbie-Stabenow-TradeAgreement</a> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";color:navy'>WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) sent a letter to President Obama expressing concern over the Administration’s proposed U.S.-Korea free trade agreement. The senators, Congressionally-appointed members of the President’s Export Council, urged the President to “drive a hard bargain with Korea” in any U.S.-Korea free trade agreement in order to combat unfair trade practices and protect American jobs and innovation.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";color:navy'>“A vital component of an export and jobs creation strategy is a trade agenda that does not repeat the mistakes of the previous administration. We need trade agreements that increase market access to U.S. goods so that we are exporting products, not jobs. At the same time, we must initiate more enforcement cases that target the most pressing barriers facing American workers and businesses,” the senators wrote. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";color:navy'>“As it stands, the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement falls short of the new course that the Administration has advocated—a path that would ensure strong labor, safety, and environmental standards; open up Korea’s markets to support good American jobs, including in auto manufacturing; ensure a fair investment environment while not exposing taxpayers from liabilities due to investor-state provisions; and contain robust mechanisms for enforcement,” the senators continued. “We respectfully request that your Administration work closely with Congress to address concerns about the contents of this agreement, as well as concerns about the broader trade policy framework.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";color:navy'>Stabenow and Brown’s full letter to the President is below.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>July 19, 2010<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>President Barack Obama<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>The White House<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>1600 Pennsylvania Ave, N.W.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Washington, D.C. 20500<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Dear President Obama:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>As members of the President’s Export Council, we write today to express our support of your goal to double U.S. exports in the next five years, and we look forward to working with you to carry out the National Export Initiative in the coming months.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>A vital component of an export and jobs creation strategy is a trade agenda that does not repeat the mistakes of the previous administration. We need trade agreements that increase market access to U.S. goods so that we are exporting products, not jobs. At the same time, we must initiate more enforcement cases that target the most pressing barriers facing American workers and businesses. Without a demonstrated change in strategy, we are concerned about your promotion of the proposed U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>As it stands, the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement falls short of the new course that the Administration has advocated—a path that would ensure strong labor, safety, and environmental standards; open up Korea’s markets to support good American jobs, including in auto manufacturing; ensure a fair investment environment while not exposing taxpayers from liabilities due to investor-state provisions; and contain robust mechanisms for enforcement. We respectfully request that your Administration work closely with Congress to address concerns about the contents of this agreement, as well as concerns about the broader trade policy framework.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>The challenge before your Administration and Congress is how to promote trade and exports, along with better working conditions, the protection of American innovation, and the rule of law. We believe the Administration must focus on driving a hard bargain with Korea– one that shows success in gaining market access while combating unfair trade practices, and provide a new framework that gives confidence to American producers and manufacturers that global trade deals produce jobs and better living conditions at home and abroad.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>We are eager to work with you to address these issues and to move forward with trade policies that reflect the changing needs of American communities and the new realities of the global economy. We are confident we can and will accomplish this.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Sincerely,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Sherrod Brown<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>United States Senator<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Debbie Stabenow<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>United States Senator<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></body></html>