Byron Dorgan: “I have listened to a substantial amount of discussion about the amber box. I suspect it is probably confusing to people…”

“I have listened to a substantial amount of discussion about the amber box. I suspect it is probably confusing to people listening to this debate about family farming to hear about the amber box. I heard someone say perhaps if we took the wrong turn here or made the wrong decision, we would shoot our trade negotiators in the foot. With all due respect, our trade negotiators have shot themselves in the foot. In fact, they took aim before they did it which really compounds the felony. This amber box is not of great interest to me. I understand it is part of our current trade regime. The amber box exists. So does unfair trade with stuffed molasses, so does unfair trade with potato flakes, with Canadian wheat, so does unfair trade with T-bone steaks to Tokyo. I could go on forever. While that amber box up there is shining amber for somebody, all I see are trade negotiators who negotiate bad trade deals for American farmers. Let me talk about boxes, not amber boxes. Let me talk about the box that the American farmers are in.”