Political Quotes

“I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. I will try not to repeat the arguments that the gentlewoman has put forward, but I do have to say that there is about 8 pounds of bill over there at a secure location, as I spoke of before, that I can't talk about it in public because I am precluded from doing that. I would violate the rules of the House and the classified status that has been accorded that material, so I can't really talk about it. I can say that it is very complicated. Like I say, there is probably, I am guessing, about 8 pounds of document there that you have to read. It is largely aspirational. In other words, I will paraphrase without disclosing any classified information. It largely says the parties will aspire or engage to do blah, blah, blah. It is largely unenforceable. Here is another part of the problem. We are negotiating the biggest multinational trade agreement in the history of the United States. You have got some countries that I think are reliable partners and that we have a history with. Canada, even before free trade agreements, we had trade agreements with Canada. They have the rule of law there. It is not a race to the bottom with Canada or with Australia or with New Zealand. {time} 0945 I think we have rule of law established in those countries. But we also, in the same agreement, are negotiating with Vietnam. I went to Vietnam not long ago, and when we talked issues, I sat down across the table from a bunch of Communist generals.…”