Political Quotes

“last week was a productive one in the Senate. We reached a bipartisan agreement to pass emergency aid for communities affected by devastating floods, tornadoes, and wildfires. We also reauthorized the Federal Aviation Administration, keeping 80,000 safety inspectors and construction workers on the job. We passed a highway bill keeping 1.8 million people at work building bridges and highways. Congress has no duty more pressing than putting people back to work, and this highway legislation will do just that. But we can and must do more. That is why this week the Senate will take up the trade adjustment assistance legislation. The TAA Program helps U.S. workers who lose their jobs because of international trade to learn new skills so they can reenter a changing workforce, and it helps them pay for health insurance while they are training for new jobs. A global economy means fierce global competition. Unless our workforce is flexible and well-trained, we cannot hope to compete. Between 2001 and 2008, Americans lost 2.4 million jobs because of trade with China. The Trade Adjustment Assistance Program is retraining many of these people, getting them back to work and into the workforce and boosting our economy at the same time. It is unfortunate that my Republican colleagues who say they care so much about free trade have prevented three such agreements from moving forward because of objections to this trade adjustment assistance legislation.…”