Political Quotes

“Madam President, I just came from a discussion on the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the damage it will do to our country. We have had 25 years of trade policy that has cost jobs in places like Lorain, OH, Cleveland, OH, and Dayton, OH. We know these trade agreements pull down worker safety standards, environmental rules and protections, and food safety laws and rules. We know they cost us jobs. I know what has happened in my State. I see what has happened in places like Omaha, the Presiding Officer's State, and all over our country. I appreciate Senator McConnell and Speaker Ryan saying they don't plan to bring the Trans-Pacific Partnership up for a vote in the lameduck session of Congress. I believe it would be a bit underhanded to do that when the public is speaking pretty loudly that these trade agreements don't work. One part that in particular affects my State is something called rules of origin in the auto industry, where in order to qualify for a tariff reduction or tariff elimination to sell products, to sell a car, under NAFTA--NAFTA was a very flawed agreement. I helped lead the opposition. We almost defeated it down the hall in the House of Representatives. To qualify for NAFTA tariff reduction, removal, elimination, the car had to be mostly made--60 percent, more or less-- in one of the three countries, the United States, Mexico or Canada.…”