From the office of Rep. Randy Hultgren (R, Illinois 14th District)…
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Randy Hultgren (IL-14) tonight applauded the passage of Free Trade Agreements (FTA) with Colombia, Panama, and South Korea, by the House of Representatives. Hultgren voted for the three FTAs.
“Tonight’s votes are long-overdue victories for manufacturers and farmers in Illinois and across the country,” said Hultgren. “By passing these Free Trade Agreements, we have secured American exporters new markets for their goods, enabling them to expand and hire here at home. Already, exports have an enormous impact in the 14th District, supporting almost 26,000 jobs. The benefits to our agricultural sector will also be substantial – last year alone, Illinois’s agricultural exports were an estimated $5.8 billion, supporting almost 49,000 jobs statewide. I hope the Senate acts promptly on these FTAs and sends them to President Obama as soon as possible.”
“Congressional passage of the Free Trade Agreements with Panama, Columbia and South Korea is long overdue. Eliminating trade barriers and boosting U.S. export trade is key to furthering the nation’s economic recovery. The Illinois Chamber of Commerce supports passage of the Free Trade Agreements because we know that facilitating the expansion of international trade is critical to the state’s economic future. We thank Congressman Hultgren for his leadership on this issue.” – Doug Whitley, President and CEO, Illinois Chamber of Commerce
“Trade is important to Illinois and American agriculture, and passage of the FTA’s is a big step in the right direction for agriculture and the entire economy. These agreements will open new markets to Illinois’ agricultural exports, leading to job creation and economic expansion; that is critically important in these tough economic times. The Illinois Farm Bureau thanks Congressman Hultgren for his support of these agreements.” – Philip Nelson, President, Illinois Farm Bureau
Illinois employers supporting the FTAs include Boeing, Caterpillar, Kraft Foods and Navistar.