Political Quotes

“the President and Republican leadership were going to ask this Chamber to vote on the Central America Free Trade Agreement this week, but apparently because it does not have the votes, they will ask us to vote on it in June or July or whenever. The administration continues, however, to mislead all of us with the wrong-headed notion that by exploiting the poor workers and promoting the agendas of the largest multinational corporations, that America will expand democracy and increase national security. If the administration is going to pursue this kind of illogical rhetoric, they should answer some questions for us. How do we promote national security by privatizing these poor nations' water systems and public services? How do we promote democracy by inserting provisions in the Central American Free Trade Agreement that call for secret international tribunals to make decisions affecting America's public health and safety laws, thereby undercutting and subverting America's sovereignty? How do we promote democracy by extending drug patents beyond U.S. law in Central America, making it more difficult for AIDS patients and the terminally ill in these nations to receive life-saving medicines? How do we promote democracy when pharmaceutical companies and other industries well connected to the Bush administration are granted a seat at the negotiating table while workers' representatives are excluded?…”