Melvin Watt: “I think we come to the floor not because we feel like Mr. Flake's amendment is likely to pass, but he provides a unique…”

“I think we come to the floor not because we feel like Mr. Flake's amendment is likely to pass, but he provides a unique opportunity for us to talk to each other and the American people about some of the problems and stresses that are taking place in our country. There are three points that I want to make. First of all, this is not a local issue for me. The appropriation, the consortium, is of eight leading textile research universities in Alabama, California, Georgia, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and South Carolina. Not one of those universities is located in my congressional district. This is not a local pork barrel request for those of us who are rising. Second, I want to make the point that Mr. Coble and I, on a bipartisan basis, have been the co-Chairs of the furnishings caucus, which the textile industry provides a major base for in North Carolina and in other parts of the country. This is not something that's just about textiles. It is about a broader-based loss of jobs and employment opportunities and a severe impact on our economy and various economies in multiple States that goes well beyond just the textile industry.”