Political Quotes

“I thank the chairman for his hard work on this bill. I have supported him so many times in the past and hoped over the last several years as we have discussed my little problem in Haleyville, AL, that maybe some agreement could be reached. But the U.S. Trade Representative, who talks sympathetically and does nothing, and the congressional committee seem to be of the view that any change, even though that is what they are empowered to do, is somehow not possible and we should not make changes in our trade law. So I objected today to going to this bill because I wish to see modest changes made in it. We are facing job losses in America. As my colleague has said, more than 25 million Americans are unemployed or underemployed. The unemployment rate remains above 9 percent. In Alabama, unemployment is now higher than the national average. A few years ago, we were below the national average. In times such as these, Congress ought to consider options that create a favorable environment for businesses without adding more to the debt by spending money to try to stimulate the economy. One such measure would be a small change in the generalized system of preferences--the GSP--which the Senate is considering this week. Some background: The GSP was enacted in 1974 to give developing countries duty-free access to our markets, while still protecting American industries.…”