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       R E S O L U T I O N            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.