Political Quotes

“I disagree with one of the fundamental principles of their bill, and that is why I am offering the amendment. I hope during the course of this debate to engage my colleagues in a discussion about their vision of trade and the difference between the Baucus-Grassley bill and the Durbin amendment. There are some Senators who will come to the floor to discuss the trade issue but have never voted for a trade agreement in their entire congressional careers. That is their right. They are representing people in States and parts of the country that obviously concur with that point of view. But that is not my position. In my time that I have served in the House and Senate, I have voted for trade agreements--some of the most important, some of the biggest. I believe they have been in the best interest of the United States, though, clearly, they have brought both gain and pain to parts of the American economy. I have voted for NAFTA.”