Political Quotes

“These are good jobs. And this is very scary. What do we do? We have had many go-rounds of base closures and we are just now beginning to recover. California workers do not deserve this, and I hope people throughout the country understand what the magnitude of this job loss is to American workers. So we support free trade, I know the gentleman supports free trade, but it must be fair. Our policies also should at least put an end to slave labor in China rather than reward it. And, in essence, PNTR rewards slave labor. Now, we are not talking about cutting off our relationship with China at all. We want to make sure that our trade relations are such that the people of China and the people of the United States benefit from a fair and free trade policy. Very seldom do we have these defining moments in the Congress. This vote really does define who we are as a people and as a Nation. And as an African American, whose ancestors were brought here in chains and forced to help build this great country as slaves, I must oppose any measure that allows for the exploitation of people anywhere in the world, whether it is here in America, whether it is in Africa, the Caribbean, or in China. So I appreciate the gentleman's taking the leadership in this effort and really trying to help all of us in this Congress know that we must do the right thing, because this is our moment to be true to who we are as Americans.”