Political Quotes

“I am a firm believer in self-determination for China. Now China is a Communist country whether we agree with it or not. However, countries, regardless of their political or economic system, should not be rewarded when they are allowed to round up and intimidate and arrest people, put people in slave labor camps with no due process. Why would the United States enact a trade policy that rewards this behavior, as well as environmental degradation and religious persecution and violation of women's rights? This is wrong. Annual review, at the very least, provides a tool to help ensure China's respect for human rights and nuclear nonproliferation. With regard to our own country, the Economic Policy Institute estimates over 870,000 United States jobs will be lost over the next decade, with the loss of over 84,000 jobs in my own State of California. This is really scary. We do not want to cut off our relationship with China. I support fair and free trade. We simply believe that human rights and fairness for American and Chinese workers should be the bottom line. This vote defines who we are as a people and as a Nation. I urge my colleagues to oppose PNTR for China.”