On the recordJune 12, 2015
I thank the gentleman for yielding. This reminds me of the song: Are you going to believe me or your lying eyes? When you come from areas of the country that some of us represent, you see what has happened with these trade deals. Adelphi factory in Warren, Ohio, had 13,000 workers. NAFTA passed; they moved over the border and ship their products back to the United States. We will be lucky if there are even 2,000 workers there. An auto plant had 16,000 workers, General Motors. Now, they are down to 3,000- 4,000 because of the trade agreements. The chairman talked about currency manipulation. We have countries shipping products to the United States; their final product lands on our shores, and it is the same cost as the raw materials for the American company. That is not free trade. That is not fair trade. That is a raw deal for the companies in the United States and the American workers. Let's even say that these trade agreements are good for the economy, as many people may believe. You still need immigration reform; you still need a transportation bill; you still need investments in research, in biosciences, and renewable energy. I can't believe that some of us are voting for this and not getting any of those other things implemented. No, no, no.
