Political Quotes

“I joined a number of other Senators, 27 Senators, to talk about ongoing trade negotiations with China. The main point of the letter was to emphasize that there is no question that China is actively seeking to surpass the United States economically and militarily. It is imperative that neither the Federal Government nor private U.S. companies abet that effort either deliberately or inadvertently. When it comes to China, national security isn't just a pretext for economic protectionism. It should not be. I, like many of my colleagues, believe strongly in free trade, and we shouldn't use national security as a pretext for economic protection. But the national security concerns are indeed real, for example, in the ZTE matter, which is a subject of some debate--as it should be--and discussion here in the Congress following the negotiation by Secretary Ross of a deal that he is proposing. For those of us who serve on the Intelligence Committee and on the Armed Services Committee, I assure you, the threat China poses is real, and the dangers we worry about are already taking effect. Our inaction could have only negative consequences, and we need to aim to prevent any future negative consequences for our country. I yield the floor. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Washington.”