Political Quotes

“I rise in opposition to most-favored- nation status for China. The American people have heard that trade at all costs with China serves United States interests, but here are the figures. The United States trade deficit with China has grown at a faster rate than that of any other major United States trading partner. The level of United States imports from China more than doubled between 1992 and 1996. The United States trade deficit was nearly $40 billion in 1996, and it is on its way to surpassing that mark in 1997. These figures mean lost jobs in the United States, and it is just beginning, because United States-based multinational corporations are investing to build new plants and new equipment in China. Contractual agreements with the Chinese Government require that the supply of goods for those new factories will have to come from China as well, and that means more United States jobs lost. Human rights are important in this. Why have we tolerated for so long the United States double standard of fierce commitment to the rights of intellectual property, important to multinational business, while the rights of workers in the United States and independent thinkers in China are cast aside? Mr. Speaker, I say human rights are as important as copyrights.”