Extending Certain Trade Programs

Floor Speech

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Mr. RANGEL. Thank you so much. It was such a pleasure hearing the word knocked around here, ``bipartisanship,'' and well there should be. I hope we can explain what it means to some of the newer Members.

As I was talking with Jim McDermott, whose ideas first created this legislation, some on the other side were Mr. Crane from Illinois, who was the cosponsor; Speaker Gingrich who was the first witness for this bill as I introduced it; and, of course, President Clinton, who took a bipartisan group of Members to Africa not only to help these African countries but to help American industry and the textile industry. But more importantly than anything, the United States became a symbol of being able to help people not just by handouts but by teaching them exactly what has to be done.

Oh, yes, Jim McDermott is right that when it comes to picking up the pieces and moving forward in terms of expiration dates and people not knowing how to invest. But let's face it, Jim, in today's climate, this is some sort of legislative miracle.

And it was completed with the help of Karen Bass, who came here and she worked the devil out of people on the other side of the aisle. They got so annoyed with her that I had to come in and to let the committee members know that she's new here, but when she gets involved in something, that the Senate, the other body, doesn't mean that much. I got a call from Bob Menendez saying it was his idea all along to get this thing through. And we have done it.

I do hope, Chairman Camp, that we might snatch what this means in bipartisanship. It may be long and difficult before this session ends to find something else. But I know that those who played a role in this over a decade ago and see that we are moving forward in that bipartisan way with the Foreign Affairs Committee, the Ways and Means Committee, that we all leave here as better legislators.

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