Darrell Issa: “My amendment simply recognizes that over the last half-century things have changed. When I was a young private, Richard…”

“My amendment simply recognizes that over the last half-century things have changed. When I was a young private, Richard Nixon opened up the gate to China. A matter of less than a decade later, Jimmy Carter added them to the Science and Technology Agreement, recognizing that this emerging country needed our help, and that as we spread them and push them away from the Soviet Union, that this was one more way to work together. I commend what those men, those Presidents, did during their decades, but in the six decades since that time, things have changed. The fact is, China isn't just a competitor; they are, in fact, the world's greatest thief of technology, and cooperation simply leads to greater espionage and theft. For that reason, it is time to end our agreement that gives them one- way access to our technology. Simply put, we can no longer support the stealing of technology. In the words of Vladimir Lenin: ``The capitalists will sell us the rope with which we will hang them.'' That has not changed. Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to support my amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.”