Political Quotes

“I rise in support of H.J. Res 51, approving the bilateral trade agreement between the United States and Vietnam. Our relationship with Vietnam has come far in 25 years. Today, Vietnam is gradually integrating into the world economy, is a member of APEC, the ASEAN Free Trade Area and has economic and trade relations with 165 Countries. Vietnam has granted normal trade relations to the United States since 1999. At the same time, our cooperative relations with Vietnam on other matters, including POW issues, has progressed admirably. Establishing normal trade relations for Vietnam is a logical step in our trade AND foreign relations. Negotiated over a four-year period, this trade agreement represents an important series of commitments by Vietnam to reform its economy. It provides important market access for American companies and is a crucial step in the process of normalizing relations between the United States and Vietnam. There are those in this body who do not believe, as I do, that the United States and Vietnam are ready to end thirty-five years of violence and mistrust between our two countries. There are Senators who believe the great battle between capitalism and communism has yet to be fully won. There are Senators who believe that our goal should be to destroy the last vestiges of communism. I am one of those Senators.”