Political Quotes

“it has been said on this floor that you cannot reform an organization you withdraw from. Well, we forget so soon. The very ground we are standing upon to engage in this debate is the result of America's Founding Fathers and Mothers who decided to withdraw from the control of England. England was in need of reform. That is why we broke with them 224 years ago. Remember the words, ``We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union,'' ordained a Constitution which established representative government and put the Congress of the United States in charge of trade, and does not give Congress the right to cede that to an international body which attacks American interests. The World Trade Organization imposes obligations on State and local governments which limit their ability to promote the local economy, promote employment, protect consumers, and establish environmental standards. The WTO attacks laws which give preference to companies bidding for State business if they employ State residents and use locally made products. It attacks laws that offer tax exemptions to companies to create jobs. It attacks laws that promote investment in recycled material. It attacks laws that impose bilocal requirements or preferences for State procurement. Mr. Speaker, 95 laws in California have been identified as WTO- illegal, according to the Georgetown University Law Center. Several States are facing legal challenges to their laws under NAFTA.”