Political Quotes

“I rise to speak about the same topic Senator Brown just spoke to. I appreciate what my colleague from Ohio brought to this Senate floor today when talking about trade. I especially commend him for not just his advocacy and his passion for standing up for workers, but for the persuasive case he makes against some of our trade policies--not just now but over time. We stand now poised to debate a set of issues which we haven't debated all that much in the 8 years I have been in the Senate--in this case first trade promotion authority, and then of course the Trans- Pacific Partnership. The people I represent in Pennsylvania know what is at stake here. Each of us, as American people, will have the chance to review the details of these proposals. But based upon past experience with trade agreements in our lifetime, and especially in the last 25 years, that past experience causes me grave concerns about what is in store, first and foremost for our workers, which of course means our economy. Time and again Pennsylvania workers and Pennsylvania businesses of all sizes have ended up with the short end of the stick on trade deals. The question they ask now is, what is in it for them? What is in it for workers? What is in it for companies across Pennsylvania and across the country? And, therefore, what is in it for all of us when it comes to our economic bottom line? Take the free trade agreement with South Korea just as a recent example. That was passed in 2011.…”