Marcy Kaptur: “I wish to say that this Republican-led Congress is trying to enlarge NAFTA to all the countries of Latin America and to…”

“I wish to say that this Republican-led Congress is trying to enlarge NAFTA to all the countries of Latin America and to do so not by regular order but by this outrageous tourniquet rule, because the rule basically locks in the deals of the powerful few against the workers of this country and, indeed, our hemisphere. We have seen it before. The leadership knows it cannot win it on the merits, on the up and up, so they intimidate Members, or they produce a rule like this that even the authors cannot fully understand. But we know what it does is it will tie the hands of our conferees so they cannot deal with the needs of displaced workers, and they cannot extend health benefits to them. It reminds me of how the GATT vote was passed. When they could not pass it, they figured out, let us do it in a lame duck session after 2 a.m. in the morning when nobody will know what happens anyway. The American people will not pay attention. Mr. Speaker, the American people are paying attention. When they cannot win on the merits, they rig the rules. I say to my colleagues, vote no on this rule. Do not vote for any more NAFTAs.”