Political Quotes

“I wish to speak about the recent trade votes that the U.S. Senate had over the last several weeks. I believe that bilateral trade agreements should be based on the premise that by growing economic ties with foreign trading partners our nation levels the playing field on which our companies and workers compete. Trade agreements should also be a means to growing a relationship with established allies that share our commitment to democratic values in an effort to work toward achieving common goals. Over the past several weeks, the U.S. Congress has weighed in on several pieces of legislation that--on balance--keep faith with these goals. Before I speak to each of the free trade agreements, I would like to reflect on the currency exchange rate oversight reform bill that the U.S. Senate considered just before the pending free trade agreements. It is important to note that playing by the rules is an important element of fair and free trade, and it is a theme I will address several times today in my remarks. The concerns of many Coloradans who both supported and opposed this currency legislation were fundamentally based on fairness. Both sides understand that intentionally undervalued foreign currencies hurt the competitiveness of American exports.…”