Political Quotes

“I cannot give up my vote and I cannot give up the voice of the people I represent on an annual basis, to hand that over to the World Trade Organization in the hope that the farmers and the fishermen and the people who are working in forestry and small business and family business are going to have their interests looked out for. I cannot turn that over on a permanent basis to the World Trade Organization. I tried to work with the gentleman from California (Mr. Cox) to fashion serious and substantive parallel legislation that would allow this Congress and each one of us to have a vote and a voice, a guarantee that we would have a vote and voice, and that it would be tied to bilateral trade and economic sanctions which would be in compliance, which we could do and still retain our authority. This legislation does not do it, the leadership did not allow it, and as a result of those concerns, I am going to be voting against this legislation.”