Political Quotes

“I rise in opposition, understanding that the vote has been taken but wanting to speak on the record about the nomination of Governor Terry Branstad to be Ambassador to the People's Republic of China. This is a critical diplomatic post today, perhaps more than at any time in our history. It has certainly been increasingly important through every administration as China's expansionist views of the world grow, as China's economy becomes more and more dominant in East Asia, and as China, by not playing fair on economic issues, has caused, with the acquiescence of many, many American companies, far too many jobs to move there. We have seen sort of a new business model for American business that has been around now for a quarter of a century--something that economic history never showed us before--where companies shut down in places like Willowick or Toledo or Dayton or Springfield, OH, and move overseas. They are getting tax breaks to do it. They build plants there and sell those products back into Ohio or into Oklahoma or into the United States in the other 48 States. Unfortunately, China has been part of that, while U.S. companies have acted, in many cases, irresponsibly, and China has played into it. We have serious issues with China, from their currency manipulation to trade cheating that hurts the American steel industry to their dismal, documented record on human rights and religious freedom. On all of these fronts, we need to take a firm position with China.…”