John Joseph Moakley: “Mr. Speaker, this rule was only reported out of the Committee on Rules less than 3 hours ago. But because my Republican…”

“Mr. Speaker, this rule was only reported out of the Committee on Rules less than 3 hours ago. But because my Republican colleagues just enacted martial law, we are considering this rule the same day it was reported, without the typical two-thirds vote that is required for the same-day consideration. The real reason for the quick consideration is that this bill was so quickly put together that my Republican colleagues are worried that close analysis will prove fatal, and they are probably right. Although this bill is hot off the presses, we have some idea what is in it; and, Mr. Speaker, so far it does not look too good. This bill includes an African trade bill that will neither help African workers nor American workers. It will allow the transfer of goods from China through Africa, goods that are made in unsafe conditions by workers who are drastically underpaid. It will hurt the African environment by failing to put protections in the proper place. And it does nothing to provide serious debt relief to African countries, debt relief we have already granted to countries on other continents.”