Bush official defends outsourcing

By Declan McCullagh
Posted on ZDNet News: Mar 31, 2004 12:05:00 AM

Treasury Secretary John Snow defended overseas outsourcing this week, arguing that the benefits of free trade outweigh the costs. In a speech to the Cincinnati Business Committee, Snow said: "I know that some Ohioans are worried about their jobs going overseas...but there are ways to get through the transition that will mean a better future for everyone, where workers are trained for the new jobs of the 21st century."

In a line of argument that echoes what other Bush administration officials have said, Snow said on Monday that "free trade helps create jobs at home by opening foreign markets to American exports, and by encouraging foreign companies to set up operations here in the U.S." Sen. John Kerry, the presumptive Democratic nominee, has been much more critical of free trade, saying that he hopes to impose more regulations on U.S. businesses to reduce their incentives to employ overseas workers.