11/16/2007 GAAS:916:07 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Print Version | En Español | Email / Share
Governor Schwarzenegger Urges Federal Government to Promote U.S. Economic Growth by Expanding Free Trade
Governor Schwarzenegger today sent the following letter to President George W. Bush urging the federal government to counterbalance the national economic slowdown by opening global markets and expanding free trade:
November 16, 2007
The President
The White House
Washington, DC 20500
Dear Mr. President,
I write to express my support for your efforts to expand trade.
As you pointed out at your news conference on October 17, rapidly expanding U.S. exports are a growing source of employment and wage gains and a well-timed counterbalance to the housing slowdown. Here in California, we export 25 percent of our annual output, and current trends indicate that will grow quickly and substantially, offering more and more job opportunities to my fellow Californians. However, I am concerned Congress may be moving to end its past commitment to opening markets and expanding trade by failing to act upon the Free Trade Agreements you have concluded.
We must recognize that global trade is largely beneficial, but that its benefits can be uneven and can come with real downsides for some of our workers. But the answer to those concerns isn’t to shut the door. Even if that protectionism were to assist some, it would do so at the expense of the far greater number of American workers who benefit from growing exports. Instead, the answer is to negotiate and ratify fair treaties and to continue to improve our infrastructure, education and training so that the United States can successfully compete, and American workers can gain more employment and higher wages.
Thank you for your continuing efforts in these regards, and please know that I am ready to assist you in moving forward from here.
Sincerely,
Arnold Schwarzenegger
