SANDERS: THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. MR. PRESIDENT, AT 2:30 THIS AFTERNOON THE SENATE WILL BE VOTING ON A MOTION TO PROCEED TO THE FAST TRACK BILL THAT THE FINANCE COMMITTEE RECENTLY OPPOSED APPROVED. I WILL BE STRONGLILY OPPOSING THAT LEGISLATION. HERE’S WHY
IN A NUTSHELL HERE IS THE REALITY OF THE AMERICAN ECONOMY TODAY. WHILE WE ARE CERTAINLY BETTER OFF THAN WE WERE SIX AND A HALF YEARS AGO, THE TRUTH IS FOR THE LAST 40 YEARS THE AMERICAN MIDDLE CLASS HAS BEEN DISAPPEARING. THE TRUTH IS THAT TODAY WE HAVE SOME 45 MILLION AMERICANS LIVING IN POVERTY, ALMOST THE HIGHEST RATE IN THE MODERN HISTORY OF AMERICA.
AND WHILE THE MIDDLE CLASS CONTINUES TO SHRINK, WE ARE SEEING MORE INCOME AND WEALTH INEQUALITY THAN AT ANY TIME IN OUR COUNTRY SINCE 1929, AND IT IS WORSE IN AMERICA THAN ANY OTHER MAJOR COUNTRY ON EARTH. TODAY, 99% OF ALL NEW INCOME IS GOING TO THE TOP 1%. TODAY, THE TOP .1% OWNS ALMOST — ALMOST AS MUCH WEALTH AS THE BOTTOM 90%. IN THE LAST TWO YEARS, MR. PRESIDENT, THE 14 WEALTHIEST PEOPLE IN THIS COUNTRY HAVE SEEN AN INCREASE IN THEIR WEALTH OF $157 BILLION. THAT $157 BILLION IS MORE WEALTH THAN IS OWNED BY THE BOTTOM 130 MILLION AMERICANS.
HOW IS THAT HAPPENING? WHY IS THAT HAPPENING? WE HAVE SEEN A HUGE INCREASE IN TECHNOLOGY, PRODUCTIVITY IS WAY UP, AND THE REALITY IS THAT MOST WORKING PEOPLE SHOULD BE SEEING AN INCREASE IN THEIR INCOME AND YET MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME HAS GONE DOWN BY ALMOST $5,000 SINCE 1999.
HOW DOES IT HAPPEN? WHY IS IT HAPPENING THAT IN THE RICHEST COUNTRY IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD, ALMOST ALL OF THE NEW WEALTH IS NOW IN THE HANDS OF THE FEW WHILE THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE WORKING LONGER HOURS FOR LOWER WAGES? HOW DOES IT HAPPEN?
WELL, THERE ARE A LOT OF FACTORS BUT LET ME TELL YOU THAT OUR DISASTROUS TRADE AGREEMENTS — NAFTA, CAFTA, PERMANENT NORMAL TRADE RELATIONS WITH CHINA — ARE CERTAINLY ONE OF THE MAJOR REASONS WHY THE MIDDLE CLASS IS IN DECLINE AND WHY MORE AND MORE INCOME AND WEALTH GOES TO A HANDFUL OF PEOPLE ON THE TOP. PRESIDENT, MR. PRESIDENT, THE — MR. PRESIDENT, THE SAD TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS MANY OF THE NEW JOBS CREATED IN THIS COUNTRY TODAY ARE PART TIME AND LOW-PAYING JOBS.
30 OR 40 YEARS AGO, WORKING PEOPLE WHO MAYBE HAD A HIGH SCHOOL DEGREE COULD GO OUT AND GET A JOB IN A FACTORY. THEY NEVER GOT RICH, IT WASN’T A GLAMOROUS JOB, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT, THEY HAD ENOUGH WAGES AND BENEFITS TO MAKE IT INTO THE MIDDLE CLASS. BUT SINCE 2001, WE HAVE LOST ALMOST 60 THOUSAND FACTORIES — 60,000 FACTORIES IN AMERICA. AND TODAY WHEN YOUNG PEOPLE GRADUATE HIGH SCHOOL THEY DON’T HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK IN A FACTORY AND HAVE A UNION JOB AND MAKE MIDDLE-CLASS BEIGES WAGES. THEIR OPTIONS ARE WAL-MART, McDONALD’S, LOW WAGES, MINIMAL BENEFITS, COMPANIES THAT ARE VEHEMENTLY ANTIUNION.
PRESIDENT, THE SAD TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS THAT WE ARE IN A RACE TO THE BOTTOM. AND NOT ONLY HAVE OUR TRADE AGREEMENTS COST US MILLIONS OF DECENT-PAYING JOBS, BUT THEY HAVE DEPRESSED WAGES IN THIS COUNTRY BECAUSE COMPANIES AND VIRTUALLY EVERY MAJOR MULTINATIONAL CORPORATION IN THIS COUNTRY HAS OUTSOURCED JOBS, SHED MILLIONS OF AMERICAN JOBS. WHAT THEY SAY TO WORKERS IS IF YOU DON’T LIKE THE CUTS IN HEALTH CARE, YOU DON’T LIKE THE CUTS IN WAGES, WE’RE GOING TO GO TO CHINA AND WE CAN HIRE PEOPLE THERE FOR A BUCK AN HOUR. SADLY, MR. PRESIDENT, THE TRANS-PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT FOLLOWS IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THESE OTHER DISASTROUS FREE TRADE AGREEMENTS THAT HAVE FORCED AMERICAN WORKERS TO COMPETE AGAINST DESPERATE AND LOW-WAGE WORKERS AROUND THE WORLD.
PRESIDENT, OVER AND OVER AGAIN — AND I HAVE HEARD THIS SO MANY TIMES — I HEARD IT JUST ON THE FLOOR THIS MORNING — SUPPORTERS OF FAST TRACK HAVE TOLD US THAT UNFETTERED FREE TRADE WILL INCREASE AMERICAN JOBS AND WAGES AND WILL BE JUST A WONDERFUL THING FOR THE AMERICAN ECONOMY. SADLY, HOWEVER, THESE FOLKS HAVE BEEN PROVEN WRONG AND WRONG AND WRONG TIME AFTER TIME AFTER TIME. I HEAR THE SAME LANGUAGE AND EVERY TIME WHAT THEY SAY JUST PROVES NOT TO BE TRUE. LET ME JUST MENTION TO YOU SOME QUOTES FROM THE SUPPORTERS OF NAFTA. THIS IS WHAT PEOPLE WERE TELLING US ABOUT HOW GREAT THE FREE TRADE AGREEMENT OR THE NAFTA FREE TRADE AGREEMENT WOULD BE.
ON SEPTEMBER 19, 1993, PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON SAID THE FOLLOWING — HE WAS, OF COURSE, PRESIDENT PUSHING NAFTA IN THE SAME WAY THAT PRESIDENT OBAMA IS TODAY PUSHING THE T.P.P. THIS IS WHAT CLINTON SAID — AND I QUOTE — “I BELIEVE THAT NAFTA WILL CREATE 200,000 AMERICAN JOBS IN THE FIRST TWO YEARS OF ITS EFFECT. I BELIEVE THAT NAFTA WILL CREATE A MILLION JOBS IN THE FIRST FIVE YEARS OF ITS IMPACT” — END OF QUOTE.
IN 1993, IT’S NOT JUST LIBERALS LIKE BILL CLINTON, HERE’S THE VERY CONSERVATIVE HERITAGE FOUNDATION IN 1993. THIS IS WHAT THIEVED — AND I QUOTE — “VIRTUALLY ALL ECONOMISTS AGREE THAT NAFTA WILL PRODUCE A NET INCREASE OF U.S. JOBS OVER THE NEXT DECADE” — END OF QUOTE.
1993 THE DISTINGUISHED SENATOR FROM KENTUCKY, OUR MAJORITY LEADER, MITCH McCONNELL, SAID — AND I QUOTE — “AMERICAN FIRMS WILL NOT MOVE TO MEXICO JUST FOR LOWER WAGES” — END OF QUOTE BY MITCH McMcCONNELL.
IS WHAT PRESIDENT CLINTON, IS WHAT THE HERITAGE FOUNDATION, IS THAT WHAT MITCH McCONNELL SAID TURN OUT TO BE CORRECT? OF COURSE, IT DID NOT. WHAT HAPPENED WAS EXACTLY THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT THEY SAID.
ACCORDING TO THE ECONOMISTS AT THE ECONOMIC POLICY INSTITUTE, NAFTA HAS LED TO THE LOSS OF MORE THAN 680,000 JOBS. IN 1993 THE YEAR BEFORE NAFTA WAS IMPLEMENTED, THE UNITED STATES HAD A TRADE SURPLUS WITH MEXICO OF MORE THAN $1.6 BILLION. LAST YEAR THE TRADE DEFICIT WITH MEXICO WAS $53 BILLION. SO ALL OF THE VERBIAGE THAT WE HEARD ABOUT NAFTA BEING SO GOOD FOR AMERICAN WORKERS TURNED OUT TO BE DEAD WRONG.
WHAT ABOUT CHINA? WE WERE TOLD MY GOD, THE CHINESE MARKET WILL BE OPEN, BILLIONS OF PEOPLE, WHAT A OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE GOOD PAYING JOBS IN AMERICA. THIS IS WHAT THE PROPONENTS OF PERMANENT NORMAL TRADE RELATIONS WITH CHINA HAD TO SAY.
PRESIDENT CLINTON AGAIN IN 1999, BILL CLINTON — QUOTE — “IN OPENING THE ECONOMY OF CHAIN THE AGREEMENT WILL CREATE UNPRECEDENTED OPPORTUNITIES FOR AMERICAN FARMERS, WORKERS AND COMPANIES TO COMPETE SUCCESSFULLY IN CHINA’S MARKET. THIS IS A 100-0 DEAL FOR AMERICA WHEN IT COMES TO THE ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES” — END QUOTE.
CONSERVATIVE ECONOMISTS AT THE CATO INSTITUTE IN 1999, THIS IS WHAT THEY SAID: “THE SILLIEST ARGUMENT AGAINST PNTR IS CHINESE IMPORTS WOULD OVERWHELM U.S. INDUSTRY. IN FACT, AMERICAN WORKERS ARE FAR MORE PRODUCTIVE THAN THEIR CHINESE COUNTERPARTS. PNTR WOULD CREATE FAR MORE EXPORT OPPORTUNITIES FOR AMERICA THAN FOR THE CHINESE” — END OF QUOTE.
WOW, WERE THEY WRONG. THE ECONOMIC POLICY INSTITUTE HAS STATED THAT PNTR WITH CHINA HAS LED TO THE NET LOSS OF 2.7 MILLION AMERICAN JOBS. GO TO ANY DEPARTMENT STORE IN AMERICA, WALK IN THE DOOR, WHERE ARE THE PRODUCTS MADE? CHINA, CHINA, CHINA, VIETNAM, OTHER LOW-WAGE COUNTRIES. IN FACT, IT IS HARDER AND HARDER TO BUY A PRODUCT NOT MADE IN CHINA.
SO ALL THOSE PEOPLE WHO TOLD US WHAT A GREAT DEAL PNTR WITH CHINA WOULD BE TURNED OUT TO BE WRONG, DEAD WRONG. IN FACT, OUR TRADE AGREEMENT WITH CHINA HAS COST US ALMOST THREE MILLION JOBS. IN 2001, THE TRADE DEFICIT WITH CHINA WAS $83 BILLION. TODAY IT IS $342 BILLION.
IN 2011 — ON ANOTHER TRADE AGREEMENT — U.S. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, BIG PROPONENTS OF UNFETTERED FREE TRADE, STRONGLY SUPPORTING T.P.P. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE TOLD US WE HAD TO PASS A FREE TRADE AGREEMENT WITH SOUTH KOREA BECAUSE IT WOULD CREATE SOME 280,000 JOBS IN AMERICA. 280,000 JOBS, A LOT OF JOBS. TURNS OUT WRONG AGAIN. IN REALITY, ECONOMIC POLICY INSTITUTE RECENTLY FOUND THAT THE KOREAN FREE TRADE AGREEMENT HAS LED TO THE LOSS OF SOME 75,000 JOBS.
AND NOW, MR. PRESIDENT, THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION SAYS TRUST US. FORGET WHAT THEY SAID ABOUT NAFTA. FORGET WHAT THEY SAID ABOUT KOREA. FORGET WHAT THEY SAID ABOUT CHINA. THIS ONE IS DIFFERENT. REALLY, REALLY. CROSS OUR FINGERS, HOPE TO DIE. THIS ONE IS REALLY, REALLY DIFFERENT.
YES, IT MAY BE TRUE THAT EVERY CORPORATION IN AMERICA, CORPORATIONS THAT HAVE SHUT DOWN FACTORIES IN THIS COUNTRY, MOVED TO CHINA, THEY’RE SUPPORTING THIS AGREEMENT. YEAH, IT’S TRUE THAT WALL STREET, WHOSE GREED AND RECKLESSNESS HAVE ALMOST DESTROYED THE AMERICAN ECONOMY, THEY’RE SUPPORTING THIS AGREEMENT. YES, IT IS TRUE THAT THE PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY WHO CHARGES US THE HIGHEST PRICES IN THE WORLD FOR PRESCRIPTION DRUGS, THEY’RE SUPPORTING THIS AGREEMENT. BUT NOT TO WORRY, WE SHOULD TRUST THESE GUYS. THEY REALLY ARE THINKING OF THE AMERICAN MIDDLE CLASS AND WORKING FAMILIES. TRUST US.
WHEN THEY TELL US A TRADE AGREEMENT WILL BE GOOD FOR WORKING PEOPLE, YES, WE SHOULD REALLY TRUST THEM. MEANWHILE EVERY TRADE UNION IN AMERICA, THE VAST MAJORITY OF ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS IN THIS COUNTRY, THEY ARE SAYING BE CAREFUL ABOUT T.P.P. VOTE “NO” ON FAST TRACK.
PRESIDENT, HERE IS THE REALITY OF THE AMERICAN ECONOMY. SINCE 2001, WE HAVE LOST 60,000 FACTORIES IN THIS COUNTRY AND WE’VE LOST OVER 4.7 MILLION MANUFACTURING JOBS. IN 1970, 25% OF ALL OF THE JOBS OF THIS COUNTRY WERE IN MANUFACTURING. TODAY THAT FIGURE IS DOWN TO 9%.
AND THE POINT HERE IS THAT BY AND LARGE, ESPECIALLY IF THERE WERE UNIONS, THOSE MANUFACTURING JOBS PAID WORKING PEOPLE A LIVING WAGE, NOT A WAL-MART WAGE, NOT A McDONALD’S WAGE.
OUR DEMAND MUST BE TO CORPORATE AMERICA, WHO TELL US EVERY NIGHT ON TV TO BUY THIS PRODUCT, TO BUY THIS PAIR OF SNEAKERS, TO BUY THIS TELEVISION, TO BUY WHATEVER IT IS, THAT MAYBE, JUST MAYBE THEY MIGHT WANT TO START MANUFACTURING THOSE PRODUCTS HERE IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, PAY OUR WORKERS A DECENT WAGE RATHER THAN LOOK ALL OVER THE WORLD FOR THE LOWEST POSSIBLE WAGES AT WHICH THEY CAN EXPLOIT WORKERS WHO ARE DESPERATE.
PRESIDENT, I WAS VERY DISAPPOINTED THAT PRESIDENT OBAMA CHOSE THE HEADQUARTERS OF NIKE TO TOUT THE SO-CALLED BENEFITS OF THE T.P.P. NIKE EPITOMIZES WHY DISASTROUS UNFETTERED FREE TRADE POLICIES DURING THE PAST FOUR DECADES HAVE FAILED AMERICAN WORKERS. NIKE DOES NOT EMPLOY A SINGLE MANUFACTURING WORKER WHO MAKES SHOES IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. NOT ONE WORKER. 100% OF THE SHOES THAT ARE SOLD BY NIKE ARE — THAT ARE SOLD BY NIKE ARE MADE OVERSEAS IN LOW-WAGE COUNTRIES.
WHEN NIKE WAS FOUNDED AND THIS IS THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE AMERICAN COUNTRY, WHEN NIKE WAS FOUNDED IN 1964, JUST 4% OF U.S. FOOT WEAR WAS IMPORTED. IN OTHER WORDS, WE MANUFACTURED THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE SHOES AND THE SNEAKERS THAT WE WORE. TODAY NEARLY ALL OF THE SHOES THAT ARE BOUGHT IN THE UNITED STATES ARE MANUFACTURED OVERSEAS. TODAY OVER 330,000 WORKERS MANUFACTURE NIKE’S PRODUCTS IN VIETNAM, WHERE THE MINIMUM WAGE IS 56 CENTS AN HOUR.
AND I HEAR PRESIDENT OBAMA AND OTHER PROPONENTS OF T.P.P. TALKING ABOUT A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD. WE HAVE TO COMPETE ON A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD. DOES ANYBODY THINK COMPETING AGAINST PEOPLE, DESPERATE PEOPLE WHO MAKE 56 CENTS AN HOUR IS A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD, IS FAIR TO AMERICAN WORKERS?
OF COURSE WE WANT THE POOR PEOPLE ALL OVER THE WORLD TO SEE AN INCREASE IN THEIR STANDARD OF LIVING, AND WE’VE GOT TO PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN THAT.
BUT YOU DON’T HAVE TO DESTROY THE AMERICAN MIDDLE CLASS TO HELP LOW-INCOME WORKERS AROUND THE WORLD. IN VIETNAM, NOT ONLY IS THE MINIMUM WAGE 56 CENTS AN HOUR, NONPARTISAN — INDEPENDENT LABOR UNIONS ARE BANNED AND PEOPLE ARE THROWN IN JAIL FOR EXPRESSING THEIR POLITICAL BELIEFS. IS THAT THE LEVEL PLAYING FIELD THAT PRESIDENT OBAMA AND OTHER PROPONENTS OF UNFETTERED FREE TRADE ARE TALKING ABOUT?
BACK IN 1988, PHIL KNIGHT — PHIL KNIGHT IS THE FOUNDER AND OWNER OF NIKE — HE SAID THAT NIKE HAD BECOME SYNONYMOUS WITH SLAVE WAGES, FORCED OVERTIME AND ARBITRARY ABUSE. PHIL KNIGHT WAS RIGHT. IN FACT, FACTORIES IN VIETNAM WHERE NIKE SHOES ARE MANUFACTURED HAVE BEEN CITED BY THE WORKERS RIGHTS CONSORTIUM FOR EXCESSIVE OVERTIME, WAGE THEFT AND PHYSICAL MISTREATMENT OF WORKERS. TODAY MR. KNIGHT IS ONE OF THE WEALTHIEST PEOPLE ON THIS PLANET, WORTH MORE THAN $22 BILLION.
WHILE MR. KNIGHT’S NET WORTH HAS MORE THAN TRIPLED SINCE 1999, THE AVERAGE VIETNAMESE WORKER WHO MAKES NIKE SHOES EARNS PENNIES AN HOUR. THAT IS PRETTY MUCH SYNONYMOUS WITH WHAT UNFETTERED FREE TRADE IS ALL ABOUT. A HANDFUL OF PEOPLE LIKE PHIL KNIGHT BECOME MULTI, MULTIBILLIONAIRES AND POOR PEOPLE ALL OVER THE WORLD ARE EXPLOITED AND PAID PENNIES AN HOUR.
PRESIDENT, IT IS NOT JUST NIKE AND IT IS NOT JUST VIETNAM. ANOTHER COUNTRY THAT IS PART OF THE TRANS-PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP IS MALAYSIA. TODAY THERE ARE NEARLY 200,000 ELECTRONICS FACTORIES IN MALAYSIA WHERE HIGH-TECH PRODUCTS FROM APPLE, DELL, INTEL, MOTOROLA INSTRUMENTS ARE MANUFACTURED AND BROUGHT BACK TO THE UNITED STATES. IF THE T.P.P. IS APPROVED, THAT NUMBER WILL GO UP SUBSTANTIALLY.
WELL, WHAT’S WRONG WITH THAT? IT TURNS OUT THAT MANY OF THE WORKERS AT THE ELECTRONICS PLANTS IN MALAYSIA ARE BEING FORCED TO WORK THERE UNDER HORRIBLE WORKING CONDITIONS. ACCORDING TO VERITE WHICH CONDUCTED A TWO-YEAR INVESTIGATION INTO LABOR ABUSES IN MALAYSIA, AN INVESTIGATION WHICH WAS COMMISSIONED BY THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR, 32% OF THE INDUSTRY’S NEARLY 200,000 MIGRANT WORKERS IN MALAYSIA WERE EMPLOYED IN FORCED SITUATIONS BECAUSE THEIR PASSPORTS HAD BEEN TAKEN AWAY BECAUSE THEY WERE STRAINING TO PAY BACK ILLEGALLY HIGH RECRUITMENT FEES. IN OTHER WORDS, AMERICAN WORKERS ARE GOING TO BE FORCED TO COMPETE AGAINST PEOPLE IN MALAYSIA, IMMIGRANT WORKERS THERE WHOSE PASSPORTS HAVE BEEN TAKEN AWAY, WHO CAN’T LEAVE THE COUNTRY, WHO ARE WORKING UNDER FORCED LABOR SITUATIONS.
SO, MR. PRESIDENT, LET ME CONCLUDE BY SAYING THIS. ALL OF US UNDERSTAND THAT TRADE IS GOOD. IT IS A GOOD THING. BUT I THINK MOST OF US NOW HAVE CAUGHT ON TO THE FACT THAT THE TRADE AGREEMENTS PUSHED BY CORPORATE AMERICA, PUSHED BY WALL STREET, PUSHED BY THE PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY ARE VERY, VERY GOOD IF YOU ARE THE C.E.O. OF A MAJOR CORPORATION, BUT THEY ARE A DISASTER IF YOU ARE AN AMERICAN WORKER.
SO IT IS MY VIEW THAT WE HAVE GOT TO REBUILD MANUFACTURING IN AMERICA. IT IS MY VIEW THAT WE HAVE GOT TO CREATE MILLIONS OF DECENT-PAYING JOBS IN AMERICA. IT IS MY VIEW THAT WE NEED TO FUNDAMENTALLY REWRITE OUR TRADE AGREEMENTS SO THAT OUR LARGEST EXPORT DOES NOT BECOME DECENT-PAYING AMERICAN JOBS.
SO I WOULD URGE MY COLLEAGUES TO VOTE “NO” ON THE FAST-TRACK AGREEMENT. LET US SIT DOWN AND WORK ON TRADE AGREEMENTS THAT WORK FOR THE AMERICAN MIDDLE CLASS, THAT WORK FOR OUR WORKING PEOPLE AND NOT JUST FOR THE C.E.O.’S OF THE LARGEST CORPORATIONS IN THIS COUNTRY.
AND WITH THAT, MR. PRESIDENT, I WOULD YIELD THE FLOOR, AND I BELIEVE NOTE THE ABSENCE OF A QUORUM.
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