The competitiveness of U.S. companies is not the same as the profitability of U.S. companies operating abroad.

The reason I asked the question is that I remember--we have been going around and around on this issue for some period of time.

But what I am interested in is that Members of Congress have the opportunity to establish good public policy, and then not have it taken away by some trade agreement or arbitrary group of tribunals some place.

I want a system of trade agreements that does not trump the common good, whether it is in Honduras or the United States.

To give an individual company the right to sue and to create a tax liability when it is successful is an enormous step, and one that I think should be rethought.

And that same thing, then, could be happening with our bail-out money to banks.

money does not necessarily, in my view, trump the common good.

If the witnesses will take their seats, we will resume the hearing.

Thank you all for your testimony.

I would assure those of you who raised questions about things that were not changed, at least one I can remember we got changed out of the House.

This argument, in my view, is both callous and wrong.