Political Quotes

“Today, the Republican leadership is up to their old tricks again. Their plan to consider fast track trade authority not trivializes this important debate. The Republican leadership is playing a game with electoral politics--creating political havoc prior to the mid-term elections. We should be focusing on passing the appropriations bills and addressing health care legislation and education issues and true Social Security reform. We should put this bill away until we are ready to include binding provisions and enforcement mechanisms to protect worker rights, food safety and the environment. I oppose this fast track legislation. When we considered granting the President fast track trade authority last year, I was opposed to that plan. Today, I have the same reservations. Presumably, one of the main reasons for fast track authority is to expand the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). NAFTA has cost hundreds of thousands of American jobs and failed to improve environmental conditions along the U.S.--Mexican border. I did not support NAFTA then, and I will not support expanding it now. NAFTA resulted in a loss of almost 17,000 jobs in Illinois and 420,000 jobs nationwide. U.S. workers who found new employment after their jobs moved to Mexico took an average pay cut of $4,400. Unfortunately, this proposal will result in more disastrous impacts on U.S. workers.”