On the recordOctober 11, 2011
Mr. President, I rise today to discuss S. 1619, known as the China Currency bill. I voted for that bill today because China has not made the progress that the U.S. and other countries have sought on currency issues. These currency issues can lead to economic distortions that cost the American economy jobs and increase economic risks for the global economy. Ideally, we would address these problems through negotiations with China and some other countries, but that course that has not yet yielded significant results. I hope we will make better progress on these currency issues in the future, and then perhaps legislation such as this won't be necessary. This bill is not perfect; ideally it would more clearly distinguish countries with unhelpful currency policies, from those which have taken a more measured course in managing their economies and currency. I would rather not resort to sanctions or countervailing duties, but the lack of progress on currency issues has made it appropriate to consider the steps set forth in this bill. While the final version of this legislation is not precisely as I would have written it, it is appropriate for the Congress to be heard on this issue, so tonight I voted for this bill. I hope that in the near future, we can resolve all of our currency issues with China and other nations. ____________________
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