Orrin Hatch: “later today, the Senate will vote on whether to begin debate on the future of the U.S. trade policy. It is a debate that…”

“later today, the Senate will vote on whether to begin debate on the future of the U.S. trade policy. It is a debate that has been a long time coming. In fact, we haven't had a real trade debate in this Chamber since at least 2002. That was 13 years ago. Think about that. Let's keep in mind that 95 percent of the world's consumers live outside of the United States and that if we want our farmers, our ranchers, manufacturers, and entrepreneurs to be able to compete in the world marketplace, we need to be actively working to break down barriers for American exports. This is how we can grow our economy and create good, high-paying jobs for American workers. While the chatter in the media and behind the scenes surrounding today's vote has been nearly deafening, no one should make today's vote more than it is. It is, once again, quite simply, a vote to begin debate on these important issues. Now, I know some around here are unwilling to even consider having a debate if they can't dictate the terms in advance, but that is not how the Senate works and, thankfully, that is not the path we are going to take. I have been in Congress for a long time, so I think I can speak with some authority about how this Chamber is--under normal conditions and regular order--supposed to operate. Of course, before this year, it had been a while before this body had worked the way it was supposed to.…”