Political Quotes

“initially, I had significant reservations about the trade agreement with Singapore. The Integrated Sourcing Initiative was too open-ended and Singaporean enforcement of environmental laws regarding commerce in endangered species was not as rigorous as it could be. However, a willingness to compromise and address these concerns makes me optimistic about future trade between the United States and Singapore. The progress I have seen regarding the tightening of the Integrated Sourcing Initiative encourages me. The implementing language that we are voting on today makes it clear that ISI expansion can only occur by express approval of Congress and can only apply to products that are already approved to enter the U.S. tariff-free. Regarding the transshipment of endangered species and illegal timber, I was buoyed by the Memorandum of Intent in Environmental Matters signed between the U.S. and Singapore last month. The statement directly addresses endangered species conservation and the intent to work regionally in Asia on best practices and capacity building. I am confident that by continuing in this spirit of cooperation, we can work to address transshipment of this contraband that is devastating to critical ecosystems. The legislative process has, in fact, worked, and appropriate actions are being taken to answer critics.”