Sherrod Brown: “I begin my thanking Senator Mikulski and Senator Shelby, as well as Senators Baucus and Grassley, for their support of…”

“I begin my thanking Senator Mikulski and Senator Shelby, as well as Senators Baucus and Grassley, for their support of this amendment. The amendment is cosponsored by Senators Stabenow, Byrd, Rockefeller, and Levin. I should note that the Finance Committee chair has drafted a bill to boost trade enforcement. I look forward to working on that very important piece of legislation. This amendment will help America's manufacturers compete on even terms with foreign manufacturers. For generations American manufacturing has been a tremendous source of pride and work for our whole country. Especially for working families, it has been a ladder to the middle class. American manufacturing fuels our economy and supplies our national defense infrastructure. It would be dangerous on many levels for our country to ignore the anticompetitive forces that are buffeting every day our manufacturing sector. In the State of Michigan, in Ohio, across the Midwest, throughout the country, it would be and is dangerous to ignore that. Over the last several years, U.S. manufacturing has faltered. Millions of good jobs have been lost. In my State of Ohio, from Toledo to Gallipolis, from Ashtabula to Middletown, well over 200,000 manufacturing jobs have disappeared in the last 6 years. American industry, we know, can compete with anyone in the world when it is a fair fight. Our international trade laws are intended to secure a level playing field.”