Bill Text: TX HR408 | 2017-2018 | 85th Legislature | Comm Sub
Bill Title: Urging Congress to preserve the North American Free Trade Agreement.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2017-05-04 - Committee report sent to Calendars [HR408 Detail]
Download: Texas-2017-HR408-Comm_Sub.html
85R26965 KSM-D | |||
By: Gutierrez | H.R. No. 408 | ||
Substitute the following for H.R. No. 408: | |||
By: Ortega | C.S.H.R. No. 408 |
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WHEREAS, Since its ratification in 1994, the North American | ||
Free Trade Agreement has produced great opportunities for economic | ||
growth and development in the United States and our bordering | ||
countries; and | ||
WHEREAS, According to the U.S. Census Bureau, American trade | ||
with Canada and Mexico has tripled under NAFTA, reaching an annual | ||
total of $1 trillion in 2015; Mexico is America's third-largest | ||
export market for agricultural products, including corn, soybeans, | ||
dairy, pork, and beef, and each year Texas sends about 36 percent of | ||
the state's total exports to Mexico; furthermore, Canada is the | ||
world's leading purchaser of U.S. goods; and | ||
WHEREAS, NAFTA has benefited American workers by creating new | ||
avenues for employment; a 2014 study conducted by the U.S. Chamber | ||
of Commerce showed that nearly five million U.S. jobs, including | ||
some 350,000 in Texas, are supported by increased trade from NAFTA; | ||
in addition, 90 percent of Fortune 500 companies have investments | ||
in Mexico; and | ||
WHEREAS, NAFTA has had particularly profound and positive | ||
implications for Texas; according to the U.S. Department of | ||
Commerce, NAFTA has created over 190,000 export-related jobs in | ||
Texas; the state has also seen a substantial increase in exports to | ||
Canada and Mexico since NAFTA was enacted; and | ||
WHEREAS, Through NAFTA, Canada and Mexico have become | ||
America's largest and third-largest trading partners, | ||
respectively; now, therefore, be it | ||
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas | ||
Legislature hereby respectfully urge Congress to work with the | ||
president of the United States to improve and enhance the North | ||
American Free Trade Agreement through modernization and the | ||
recognition of new technological advancements in order to move | ||
toward expanding economic opportunity for the betterment of our | ||
country; and, be it further | ||
RESOLVED, That the chief clerk of the house forward official | ||
copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, to | ||
the president of the Senate and the speaker of the House of | ||
Representatives of the United States Congress, and to all the | ||
members of the Texas delegation to Congress with the request that | ||
this resolution be entered in the Congressional Record as a | ||
memorial to the Congress of the United States of America. |