Orrin Hatch: “I appreciate the excellent remarks that were made by the distinguished Senator from Ohio and other Senators on the floor…”

“I appreciate the excellent remarks that were made by the distinguished Senator from Ohio and other Senators on the floor this day. There is no question that the Senator from Ohio is a very strong leader when it comes to international trade, having served as the Nation's Trade Representative and having served very well. Not only was he a great Trade Representative, but he is a great Senator. I have a very high regard for him. I understand why he--just as I am--is working to push this bill through Congress. We have enough Democrats who are pro-free trade and understand what this bill will do for them, and I think we have enough Republicans. Let's just hope that we can put this through. Having said all of that, I wish to praise the President. I have had many differences with the President over the years. We have always been cordial. There is no question that I care for him, and I hope he cares for me. But the fact is that on this issue, our President happens to be right, and that is why I was pretty upset the other day when cloture was not invoked. I am glad we were able to work together to overcome that logjam and have the bill on the floor now, and hopefully we will overcome any desire to filibuster this bill in any way, shape, or form. There have been many heroic Democrats who have worked on this bill, and I want to pay homage to all of them, from Senator Wyden right on through. They all deserve a lot of credit.…”