Cord Byrd: “My remarks were largely based on research that has been done by the Economic Policy Institute. It is dated November…”

“My remarks were largely based on research that has been done by the Economic Policy Institute. It is dated November 1999. I am reading from a paper issued by the institute. It is headed with these words: NAFTA's pain deepens. Job destruction accelerates from 1999 with losses in every State. It shows Colorado as having a net NAFTA job loss of 3,625 jobs. It doesn't show as much for West Virginia as Colorado. West Virginia has a net NAFTA loss of 1,183 jobs. Let me say this to the Senator. I have been in Congress now 48 years. I have seen Democratic administrations, and I have seen Republican administrations. The kind of talk we just heard from this Senator--I respect him as a colleague, but I have to say this--is the same kind of talk I have been hearing from these administrations for 48 years. That is State Department talk. It is the same old State Department talk. I will say to this Senator, we are going to get taken to the cleaners. We have been taken to the cleaners all these 48 years by other countries. In these ventured agreements, our negotiators for some reason or other always come out second. We have been taken to the cleaners. We will be taken again.”