Speech #1030116709

Its important to cut through the fog of press releases and slick advertisements to learn the facts. There were several points that played important roles in my decision: Under this NAFTA. the White House Office of Management and Budget admits that billions of dollars in higher taxes will be needed to pay for lost tariff revenue. for cleaning up the environmental disaster along our border. and for a Mexican development bank. NAFTA supporters contend illegal immigration will slow if more jobs are created in Mexico. but virtually everyone concedes that illegal entry into the United States will definitely increase over the next decade. Exports to Mexico have been increasing without NAFTA. and they will continue to whether or not NAFTA is approved. The Department of Commerce ranked our State 47th last year. having less than a tiny twohundredths of 1 percent of total United States exports to Mexico in dollar value.