Timothy Roemer: “I rise in strong support of MFN for China. Changing China's human rights policy is going to be like turning a blimp…”

“I rise in strong support of MFN for China. Changing China's human rights policy is going to be like turning a blimp around in an alley. It is going to be very difficult, very slow, very painful. The process is going to take idealism and commitment to human rights. It is not going to be done by the Japanese; it is not going to be done by the South Koreans or the Europeans. It is going to be done by the United States of America. We have that commitment. We have those beliefs. We can help in small ways change the policy in China. Now, what is the cost if we do not do this? What is the cost if we do not do this in the best economic interests of the United States? The cost is probably, one, China starts to build on their already biggest standing army in the world; there is more volatility in this region of the world; the United States spends more and more on our defense. We lose jobs in this country, the deficit continues to go up. There is a real cost for the United States not to do this. What do some people say about the answer? Pat Buchanan says, let us build walls. Not a Great Wall in China, let us build walls across the United States so that Indiana can trade with Arizona. I say to the people of this body, that is not the answer.”