Political Quotes

“I have long believed that as a matter of principle we should try to take down barriers that divide economies and people. Under the right conditions, trade between countries can create American jobs and raise standards of living both at home and abroad. But globalization is a developing issue and our policies need to reflect developments in our economy and the economies of our trading partners. When seeking new markets for our products and services, we need to ensure that we are competing on a level playing field. We must work to ensure that our trade agreements are not only free, but also fair. Tonight I will cast my vote against the Central American Free Trade Agreement because it is not free and fair trade. When this Administration cuts the job retraining and education assistance necessary for our workers to compete in the global economy, we should reject trade agreements like CAFTA that fail to protect workers on both sides of the agreement. The United States has a half-trillion dollar trade deficit. American businesses are choosing not to invest at home and our economy is no longer attracting private foreign capital. The minimum wage is at its lowest level in 50 years, and nearly 7.5 million Americans are unemployed. The Republican Congress has enacted legislation that actually creates incentives for companies to move jobs overseas. The CAFTA agreement President Bush has submitted to Congress would open U.S.…”