Byron Dorgan: “I was just asked by a news reporter about the President's trip to Asia. The President is now going to Japan, Korea, and…”

“I was just asked by a news reporter about the President's trip to Asia. The President is now going to Japan, Korea, and China and will be talking, presumably, about a wide range of issues, including trade. My hope certainly is that he will talk about trade. Last month, we had a trade deficit of $66 billion--in 1 month--one- third of it from China. When the President goes to China, he could visit a lot of American jobs because the jobs that used to be here in America exist now in China--jobs that made bicycles, Radio Flyer's Little Red Wagon, Tony Lama boots. The jobs that used to make a wide range of products now exist in China. An American President--any American President--visiting China could visit a lot of American jobs. They are not the same kind of jobs that existed in America because in America, in most cases, those jobs were performed by employees who made a decent wage and who had benefits. No longer, in most cases. Those jobs in China are being performed by people who are being paid a small amount of money and no benefits. By the way, if they complain about the working conditions, they will be either fired or put in prison. As the President goes to China in the shadow of last month's devastating announcement of a $66 billion monthly trade deficit, one- third of it coming from China, what should the President do?…”