Ben Cardin actually said...

"It seems to me that taking them off of Tier 3 takes the pressure off."

"If it is true that the administration politicized this report, there are questions about why they chose to significantly diminish a tool that has been effective in fighting slavery around the world."

"I did not interpret from the President's remarks that he is challenging any of our independent judgments on this."

"I hope it did not. But I tell you, we talked about it before the report came out. I just hope that we are using objective standards."