Political Quotes

“Madam President, I rise to offer this amendment for the consideration of this body because it is important to boosting American jobs and manufacturing and ensuring that more of our American dollars are spent here at home. When the Federal Government spends tax dollars, it should be looking to American companies to provide goods and services. Recently, an issue came to light that gave me substantial concern. A few months ago, a bid was awarded to a Chinese company to provide steel for a freight rail bridge in Alaska, the Tanana Bridge. There was strong American competition. However, the award went to the Chinese company. If there were a level playing field, that would be one thing. But, in fact, China is employing a three-tiered strategy that provides enormous subsidies to its own manufacturing, tilting the playing field considerably. The first part of that strategy is to peg its currency so its products have a 25- to 40-percent subsidy--equivalent to that subsidy--because of the pegging of the currency. The second piece is it provides all kinds of subsidies that are not actually permitted under WTO, but China is doing it anyway. These go directly to the heart of manufacturing competition. Recently, a bipartisan amendment was put forward. I applaud my colleagues from Wyoming, Senator Enzi and Senator Barrasso. We said China is required under the WTO to post its subsidies, to notify the parties of its subsidies. It has done so only once since 2006. It is in violation.…”