Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I wish to thank and appreciate the majority leader's and the chairman's ongoing commitment to this issue. I look forward to continuing to work with them on the issue to protect American workers and American manufacturers from the negative effect of certain trade policies and tariffs that threaten their livelihood. I appreciate them both coming to the floor and for their commitment. I just wish to take a minute or two for those who have asked me--I have had a whole host of our colleagues who have come and said to me: What are you trying to achieve? So we can move quickly to try to achieve the passage of AGOA and CAFTA-DR, Burma sanctions, all which I support. I know colleagues, such as Congressman Rangel, who was the original author of AGOA, has called, among many others. You know, very simply, pursuant to the passage of NAFTA and CAFTA and AGOA and other trade preference programs, Congress has eliminated duties on, for example, imported shirts from other countries. In some cases such as AGOA, it has also allowed the use of third-country fabrics to make those imported shirts. Our tariff policy, however, has not changed. While foreign-made dress shirts are entering the United States duty free, we are charging American manufacturers a duty as high as 13\1/2\ percent on cotton shirting fabric.…”