Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about the importance of the U.S. International Affairs Budget for America's economic prosperity. Recently, more than 220 leaders from America's business community, from Fortune 500 companies to local chambers of commerce, wrote to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson about the strategic investments in development and diplomacy that advance America's interests overseas and support jobs at home. I am particularly proud that the CEOs of Land O'Lakes and Cargill-- two Minnesota-based companies--helped lead this critical effort. Minnesota businesses understand they need the support of America's diplomats and development professionals at the State Department and USAID in the international marketplace to succeed. For less than 1 percent of the Federal budget, our diplomats and development workers help create good governance and stability in developing countries around the world. These efforts enable their economies to grow, creating new markets for American goods in a highly competitive global marketplace. With 95 percent of the world's consumers living outside of our borders, some of our fastest growing economies are in developing countries. Currently, 41 million American jobs depend on international trade, including 800,000 in the great State of Minnesota. We simply can't afford to disengage from the world. We also know that individuals who experience economic growth and trade with one another prefer peace over conflict.…”