Political Quotes

“I rise in support of what is a very good trade agreement, both for the United States as well as for our friend and ally, the nation of Oman. It was interesting, I hear a lot of references in this body to those who argue that every one of the bipartisan 9/11 Commission recommendations should be implemented. Today, we have before us one of those recommendations, that is, the 9/11 Commission recommended that we as the United States work to further expand trade agreements with our friends and allies in the Mideast, and Oman is one of our oldest allies. As my colleague from Virginia noted, we have 170 years of friendship with the small nation known as Oman, a friend and ally, a cooperative partner. This agreement that is before us is good for U.S. manufacturers, it is good for Illinois manufacturers, it is good for Illinois workers, it is good for Illinois farmers. Immediately, once it goes into force, 100 percent of manufactured goods exported from the United States to Oman are duty free. Immediately, 87 percent of U.S. farm products, corn and soybeans from Illinois, are duty free, and the remaining tariffs are phased out over a short period of time. Again, this is good for Illinois workers and manufacturers and farmers. Also know that Oman has implemented significant labor reforms, enacted major labor reforms in 2003 and, like Bahrain, has followed up with specific commitments to ensure that its laws provide protections for workers.…”