Political Quotes

“last year, this Congress was promised a vote on the Central American Free Trade Agreement by the end of 2004. December 31 came and went. Then, at a White House news conference, the President called on Congress to pass the Central American Free Trade Agreement by Memorial Day. May 31 came and went. In June, Congress was again promised a vote, which was supposed to have been before July 4. Independence Day came and went. Why, Mr. Speaker? Because dozens of Republicans and Democrats, including my friends who are joining us tonight, the gentleman from Idaho (Mr. Otter) and the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Jones), earlier the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. DeFazio) and the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur) and others, because of the strong opposition by both parties, from small farmers and ranchers to organized labor, from small manufacturers to environmentalists, from religious leaders, from Catholic bishops in Central America and the Dominican Republic, to Lutheran and Presbyterian and Jewish and Episcopal leaders in our country, all of us speak with one strong, united voice: renegotiate the Central American Free Trade Agreement. Those of us opposed to this CAFTA do want a trade agreement with Central America; but we want a trade agreement, as the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Jones) says, that benefits our whole Nation, not just a few; not one crafted, not a trade agreement crafted, negotiated by a select few for a select few.…”