Political Quotes

“Madam President, I rise today to speak about a subject matter I touched on about a month ago regarding current trade negotiations. I don't blame elected officials for pushing legislation, policy proposals, or ideas that further their home State's interests. In fact, I think that is one of the first things we should do here, that is, to make sure the folks who elected us know we are standing up for them. But I also think there comes a time when we need to recognize that the long-term interests of our collective constituents are at risk, even when we are doing short term things that put us at risk. This is why I have decided that I wish to speak a little bit about the current status of the Trans-Pacific Partnership or TPP negotiations. I learned overnight and this morning that the American team of the TPP negotiators has tabled language which would carve certain American- grown commodities out of the protections of the trade deal's investor- state dispute settlement--or ISDS--mechanism. By carving out tobacco from the TPP, the President and his administration are discriminating against an entire agriculture commodity, setting a dangerous precedent for future trade agreements. I rise today to defend the farmers, the manufacturers, and the exporters from the discriminatory treatment in this proposed trade agreement. What they have decided to do right now relates to tobacco.…”