Chuck Grassley: “I rise for a very special purpose relating to the work of the Senate Finance Committee and the aspect of our work that…”

“I rise for a very special purpose relating to the work of the Senate Finance Committee and the aspect of our work that deals with international trade and the high caliber of staff who have been on the International Trade Subcommittee over a long period of time. But I take special note of one of our staff people, our chief trade counsel, Grant Aldonas. He is right here. He is going to soon be leaving the position that he has with our committee. It is going to be a loss for our committee, and particularly for me as a new chairman. It is going to be a tremendous loss because people of his caliber who are so successful in the private sector and are willing to come back into public service are few and far between. He is one who has done that. He has done it for 3½ years as the Finance Committee's top trade lawyer. He served Senator Roth before me with the greatest of professionalism and diligence; he has done a very good job. Grant has left his mark on some of the Senate's most significant trade policy initiatives--the passage of the Trade and Development Act of 2000, and the passage of the bill that has been on everybody's mind over the last 3 or 4 years giving permanent normal trade relations status to the great country of China.”