Maurice Hinchey: “so if we allow this bill to pass, what we succeed in doing is allowing vast amounts of natural resources to be stolen…”

“so if we allow this bill to pass, what we succeed in doing is allowing vast amounts of natural resources to be stolen and vast amounts of revenue to be stolen. I made the point in my opening remarks that the customs duties in the City of New York could be taken by the City of New York under the same kind of reasoning that goes on here or in the Port of Miami or the Port of Los Angeles under the same reasoning. Because the port is there, should all of those resources go to New York or Miami or Los Angeles or any other port? Obviously not. Those resources belong to all the people of the country, as these resources belong to all the people of the country and should not be expropriated as they would under the provision of this bill. This bill is bad public policy, and I urge its defeat.”