Max Baucus: “I thank the Senator from Utah. He is a good man. I also thank staff who helped put this bill together. Amber Cottle, on…”

“I thank the Senator from Utah. He is a good man. I also thank staff who helped put this bill together. Amber Cottle, on my side, and Everett Eissenstat, who works for Senator Hatch, worked very hard. They lead very good, trained teams, I might add. They are very talented, able folks. I see this too as a vote to help propel us to the next level of trade expansion. One is the TPP, Trans-Pacific Partnership, which is being worked on by the United States and other Asian countries. I think it is a dramatic opportunity for growth. Second, working with Europe, the potential free-trade agreement with Europe, there has been a lot of interest in Europe joining the United States and reducing barriers to trade. It is a great opportunity that we should take advantage of. Obviously, that raises another question, which is trade promotion authority. Next year Congress and I will work to get trade promotion authority passed so we can include these trade agreements and help American companies and, equally importantly, help American consumers because American consumers and American workers are, frankly, helped dramatically by properly negotiated trade agreements when it is in the best interests of the United States. I thank the Presiding Officer for all she does too. I yield the floor. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Who yields time?”