Rep. Tom Perriello (D-Virginia, 5th) is now an expert on deepwater drilling and has figured out the cause of the accident that tragically killed 11 oil rig workers three months ago today at the Deepwater Horizon Oil Rig: cheap foreign products!
Perriello, whose silence on immigration reform (despite his party’s accusations of Republican xenophobia in Arizona regarding the enforcement of existing law) has been louder than a Mariachi band, showed his own personal disdain for the global economy and a gross misunderstanding (or willful neglect) of federal oversight when he spoke to a group of seniors today during a teletown hall.
“If you look at the BP example, that oil rig that blew was not manufactured in the United States – it was manufactured in Asia. Most of the component parts were made in Asia and you often get what you pay for. If you pay for the cheapest stuff, you get the sort of thing that could blow and cause billions of dollars in damages to fishers, shrimpers, restaurateurs, and everyone else in that area.”
Forget for a moment that all sorts of questions are being asked in the current investigation of the tragedy regarding how thorough the investigations by MMS have been or how easy it was to exempt the Environmental Impact Statement, is it really possible that a U.S. Congressman has decided that it’s good economic policy to insult a bloc of nations that account for greater than 25% of our trade?
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, trade from China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and Singapore amounted to 25.3% of all U.S. trade.
Perhaps Perriello might want to reconsider his statement? Or is he ready to give up every product he owns that has been manufactured in Asia and eliminate every job in the 5th District that relies on imports or the sale of these products?
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