Max Baucus: “I might say, too, Madam President, that the people understand this. Last year they came from all over Montana to a trade…”

“I might say, too, Madam President, that the people understand this. Last year they came from all over Montana to a trade conference I hosted on how we can establish better trade relationships with and engage more deeply with China. People came from all over our State. I was amazed at the success of that conference. The Chinese Ambassador was there, and also, I might add, we invited our U.S. Ambassador to China, the Honorable Jim Sasser--he very much wanted to come but was unable because of a last moment conflict. I might also remind us that American imports also hit a record of about $949 billion last year. We imported more than we exported. That may not be so good. But the point is that we as Americans are competing more than ever before against foreign competition, whether it is in heavy industry, high technology, or agricultural services. It all underlines the importance of trade in general and also the importance of being sure that we have a top-notch trade negotiator to make sure it is all fair. And we certainly have that in Charlene Barshefsky.”