Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I rise today to discuss the three pending agreements that the Senate will be considering later today. But before I address these agreements, I first want to express my strong support for the reauthorization of the Trade Adjustment Assistance Program. Three weeks ago I joined a bipartisan group of colleagues in passing an expansion of the Trade Adjustment Assistance Program to support workers in Minnesota and across this Nation who have lost their jobs or seen their hours reduced as a result of global exchange. I made clear then that I believed it was essential that we act on trade adjustment assistance before turning to the pending agreements and--with the House passing this legislation today--that is exactly what we have done. As chair of the Senate subcommittee on export promotion, I have long been a proponent of increasing U.S. exports and helping U.S. producers reach new markets overseas. Ninety-five percent of the world's customers live outside our borders. So it is without exaggeration that I say our future prosperity hinges on our ability to reach those customers. As we continue to work to move our country out of this current economic downturn, we must take every available step we can to increase the competitive edge of American producers, farmers, and workers in the global economy. I will therefore be voting for both the South Korea and Panama agreements.…”