James Traficant: “I do not like this bill, but I am going to vote for it. I want to thank the gentleman from New York (Chairman LaFalce)…”

“I do not like this bill, but I am going to vote for it. I want to thank the gentleman from New York (Chairman LaFalce) for being a gentleman and allowing me the time. Pretty tough for me to vote against the bill that has come to the floor offered by the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Regula) and the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. Mollohan), two great Members. I also offer my sympathies to the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. Mollohan). But I want to pick up on something that the gentleman from Texas (Chairman Archer) said. No matter how one cuts this bill, the reason for it being on the floor is illegal trade. The steel industry is in desperate straits because of illegal trade. What Congress has chosen to do is, no matter how we cut it, we subsidize and accommodate illegal trade tonight in the House of Representatives, with the only vehicle to help our industries. This is unbelievable to me. We act like a bank and guarantee with taxpayers dollars industries that are impacted upon by illegal trade, but Congress does not have the courage to take a stand and reconcile these great negative balance of payments in a trade deficit approaching a quarter of a trillion dollars. Good God almighty. Now we are going to accommodate illegal trade. We are telling our trading partners, go ahead. The doors are open. If worst comes to worst, we will take care of our industry for you.”