Byron Dorgan: “That is exactly the case, although this is Professor Freeman. I have never known an economist to lose his or her job to…”

“That is exactly the case, although this is Professor Freeman. I have never known an economist to lose his or her job to a bad trade agreement. They sit around thumbing their suspenders. They occasionally smoke a pipe, wear their little corduroy coat with their leather arm pads. They pontificate about these issues. The fact is, half of them can't remember their telephone numbers, and they are telling us what is going to happen 5 years in the future. I understand, and I think most people understand, what is happening in this country today. What is happening today is the export of good jobs and the import of cheap labor and depressing the conditions of employment in America. That is what is happening, and nobody seems to care very much. The inequality grows. The wealthy get wealthier, the people at the bottom are stuck--they haven't had an increase in the minimum wage in 9 years, mind you, so they are stuck and they are losing ground. The question is, Who is going to stand for them and speak for them? Mr. President, how much time remains? The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Martinez). The Senator has 10 minutes 15 seconds remaining.”