"Our country's relationship with Jordan is important, and I want to enhance that relationship. A trade agreement is a critical factor for the economy in Jordan and political stability in a region where the United States has many interests.
"Details of the pending trade agreement with Jordan were negotiated by the previous administration. I look forward to the new administration finalizing a trade agreement with Jordan. One of the last trade agreements negotiated by one administration and implemented by the next was NAFTA. The first Bush administration negotiated the agreement, and one year after taking office, the Clinton administration implemented NAFTA. President Clinton made significant modifications to the agreement before submitting it to Congress, which then worked in a bipartisan way to pass NAFTA.
"I think it's fair to give President Bush the same courtesy that was given to President Clinton to have some time to carefully review a proposed trade agreement and consider its effects before moving forward in Congress. Ultimately, many of us share the same goal of passing a historic, free trade agreement with Jordan."