Jeremiah Smith: “It is interesting that no one in the Senate wants to give us the opportunity to amend the legislation for fear somehow…”

“It is interesting that no one in the Senate wants to give us the opportunity to amend the legislation for fear somehow it might mess it up. On the other hand, it did not bother the House. They amended HR 4444 and sent it over here, and I believe the Senate has a responsibility to do likewise. Frankly, I believe we have that right to offer amendments, such as the Thompson amendment, whether I agree or disagree with it. I believe people ought to vote on those amendments based on how they feel about it. This is a very important issue. Permanent meant permanent when I went to school. When you say 'permanent normal trade relations with China,' permanent means permanent. I am going to touch on a number of issues, including the subject Senator Thompson has spoken so eloquently on over the past couple of days, but there are many other issues one might want to stop and have serious reflections on whether or not this is really what we want to do.”