Ed Markey: “we have so many red herrings floating around in the well down here today, we are going to have to build an aquarium.…”

“we have so many red herrings floating around in the well down here today, we are going to have to build an aquarium. This has nothing to do with American nonproliferation policy. It has nothing to do with the agreed framework which everyone is talking about here. It has nothing to do with Star Wars, which I oppose, I think it is the stupidest idea of all time, but this is not what this debate is all about. It has nothing to do with Korean reunification, as much as we all sincerely hope that they will reunify. It has nothing to do with any of that. It has to do with a single company, General Electric, coming to this Congress and saying, we would like to be indemnified against wanton, reckless misconduct in the construction of our product if an accident occurs in North Korea. And if an accident occurs, we want the American taxpayer to shoulder the burden. All we are saying is that General Electric should go into the private marketplace and get some insurance. Now, they are boasting in their puffing of this plant that they are going to make $30 million. Now, if with their $30 million worth of profit they cannot afford an insurance policy on this plant, then this is a pretty dangerous product. Now, my feeling is that out of the $30 million, they could probably spend a half a million or a million and get a good insurance policy, and then that insurance company should bear the risk. But it should not be the American taxpayer.”