Political Quotes

“I hope they will ask themselves if they are comfortable taking $78 million of taxpayers' money to help out the big tire companies and the other special interests that will benefit by this. I hope they will ask themselves if they are comfortable in passing or ratifying something that appears to violate our very antitrust laws, if they hadn't put it in the form of a treaty. I hope they will ask themselves whether or not they are comfortable in telling consumers that we are going to protect them against lower prices. Madam President, this agreement is an embodiment of special interests. There isn't anybody lobbying against the treaty. There have been tire companies lobbying on the hill for it. There have been people interested in higher prices for rubber lobbying for it. There have been representatives of corporations and labor on the hill lobbying for it. Madam President, there hasn't been anybody lobbying against it. The taxpayers don't really have a lobby. The consumers don't really have a lobby. No one pays people to come up here and speak for them--except one group. You see, the people who sent us here believed and thought that it was our obligation to stand up for them. I think most of them would be surprised to know that sometimes when they don't have a lobbyist, that voice goes unheard. Madam President, this agreement is wrong. It is wrong because it is anticompetitive. It is wrong because it is a response to the special interests.”