Political Quotes

“It is now my privilege to yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Washington (Mr. McDermott), the ranking member on Trade. Mr. McDERMOTT. Madam Speaker, tonight the fat is in the fire. We're starting with the tough one up front, and I rise in opposition to the Colombia free trade agreement. I believe that trade can have transformative effects on a society and its economy. I've seen it firsthand in Seattle, where one out of three or one out of four people make their living directly from trade. I've seen it in southern Africa. I helped write the AGOA Act, and I've seen the effects that it has had there. When trade is done right, it creates opportunities, it generates jobs, and it lifts people up the economic ladder--if it is done right. Now, I don't come to this with any kind of ideological knee jerk. I am one who believes that you need to go and look. And I've been to Colombia on several different occasions, once with Commerce Secretary Gutierrez. We went out to community meetings. We sat down and listened to people talk. President Uribe had a community meeting, and we saw what was going on. I've been to Medellin, which was one of the most dangerous cities in Central America--in fact, in the world. And one day when one of the drug lords was taken out, the people of Medellin said, No mas, no more. We don't want anymore.…”