Bill Lee: “Let me thank our ranking member for yielding and for your very critical and tremendous leadership on these issues. Mr.…”

“Let me thank our ranking member for yielding and for your very critical and tremendous leadership on these issues. Mr. Speaker, as a strong supporter of this African Growth and Opportunity Act, let me first say that I am extremely disappointed that AGOA was used as a bargaining chip to pass the unrelated Trade Adjustment Assistance package. AGOA has been a longtime cornerstone of the U.S.-Africa relationship. And I just have to thank Congressman Rangel and Congresswoman Bass and members of the Congressional Black Caucus who have done everything they could do, everything possible to keep AGOA a clean bill, without being loaded with non-Africa trade-related issues. Yet, in spite of these efforts, we are faced with a bill, really, that looks like a Christmas tree. But I will reluctantly vote for this because Africa deserves better. It deserves not to be caught up in the gimmicks of this body. And we will continue to fight for American jobs, American workers, and a TPP that creates jobs in America, economic growth in America, and preserves jobs in America. So this is not over. On top of the very cynical way that these trade bills have been brought to the floor, the TAA included in this bill is inadequately funded and fails to protect workers who will ultimately be displaced by massive trade agreements like the TPP--and that will happen.…”