Gilbert Gutknecht: “I hope the people at the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue would realize this is a very important vote. If it is left to…”

“I hope the people at the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue would realize this is a very important vote. If it is left to some other people to define the terms and conditions of this debate, we could lose. I do not mean just we who support PNTR. I think the American people could lose. If this vote goes down, I think this is a loss that will take literally generations to recover from. Let me just say in closing, I think virtually every economist worth their salt has come to the conclusion that free markets, free people, ultimately lead to a much higher standard of living, and that is true literally from the days of Venice. If we look at all of the great city states and countries that have shown great economic prosperity for their times, the one thing they all had in common is that they were trading nations. We must be a trading Nation. We must be engaged in the world market. We cannot ignore China. To try and wall it off now, as we enter the next century, it seems to me would be a mistake of historic proportions. Winston Churchill was correct: Free markets, free people, free trade, lower tariffs, ultimately raises the standard of living of all people.”