Political Quotes

“I rise with enthusiasm to join our chairman in introducing this measure which is word for word as the President sent to us on March 8. In doing so, he put the matter clearly enough. He said: The Agreement will dramatically cut import barriers currently imposed on American products and services. It is enforceable and will lock in and expand access to virtually all sectors of China's economy. The Agreement meets the high standards we set in all areas, from creating export opportunities for our businesses, farmers, and working people, to strengthening our guarantees of fair trade. I point out, sir, that the negotiations that have led us to this point have taken 13 years. They began prior to the creation of the World Trade Organization, under its predecessor, the GATT. It has been hard slogging, painful, detailed work, but it has come to a conclusion. China wants into the WTO, the World Trade Organization. The price is to give us access to her markets. She has access to ours; hence, the imbalance of our trade, which is enormous just now. I say, sir--and I think it would be agreed to--this will be very likely the most important legislative decision we have made in a decade or will make for a decade. At issue is the opening of American and world markets, which followed the calamitous conditions brought about by the Smoot-Hawley tariff in 1930. The opening began by Cordell Hull, in the form of the reciprocal trade agreements.…”