Political Quotes

“this rule prevents consideration of an amendment the gentleman from California (Mr. George Miller) and I would have introduced to strike Colombia from this trade preference due to their horrendous record on labor rights. This bill allows Colombia to import numerous goods across our borders duty free. This preference costs us $262 million. This is a lot of lost revenue at the expense of a country that does nothing to ensure the basic security of trade unionists. Four thousand trade unionists have been gunned down in the last few years, and 133 trade unionists have been murdered this year alone. In Colombia, virtual immunity exists for the murderers of these trade unionists. The Miller-Evans amendment suspends Colombia from this trade preference until it begins to investigate the murders of these labor leaders. We are really not asking too much for several million dollars of duty free treatment. I think we should stand in solidarity with the families of the 4,000- plus slain union leaders in Colombia that died for peace and human rights while their pleas for protection have been ignored by their own government. Their families have no consolation as the killers or these trade unionists remain free from prosecution. I urge my colleagues to remember that labor rights are human rights.”