Trade Bill Puts Jobs On Agenda

[Geee]

Investors Business Daily:

Economy: After years of dithering and bowing to protectionists, President Obama finally submitted three pending free-trade pacts with South Korea, Panama and Colombia to Congress for a vote. Let the U.S. economy recover.

The president's decision marks the first bright economic move he has made to boost the nation's ailing economy. Dropping tariffs, opening markets and equalizing investment terms are a proven way to boost economic growth.

Contrary to all the nonsense about outsourcing and giant sucking sounds, the real impact of free trade is new freedom and opportunity.

The pacts are now on their way to a vote in Congress after a long delay, marking Obama's first real shift from campaign demagogue captive to special interests to President of the entire U.S.

"These agreements will support tens of thousands of jobs across the country for workers making products stamped with three proud words: Made in America," the White House said in a statement.

The White House knows this is a winner: "Growing American exports to South Korea, Colombia and Panama will support tens of thousands of jobs here at home," said U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk, who encouraged the bill's passage "without delay."

The legislative process will begin next week, and both the White House and congressional leaders say the votes are there to pass it. But they always have been — the big change is the end of the president's hesitancy to submit them and Big Labor's campaign to block it.

The U.S. now stands to win $40 billion in new trade from the South Korea, Panama and Colombia pacts, and will add $10 billion to U.S. GDP. Made-in-America exports are expected to soar — they always do in the first years of a trade deal.