LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Now to Capitol Hill, where it's up to the Senate to vote on the landmark legislation normalizing trade with China now. Our congressional correspondent, Bob Franken, is on Capitol Hill this morning. We go to him now live. Good morning, Bob.</s>BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Leon. And the Senate is expected to be easy compared to what was going on in the House of Representatives; this time yesterday they were still scrounging to come up with enough members to put them over the 218 majority needed to pass the permanent normal trade relations. Well, they had, in fact, a very successful day, and at the end of the day had made it to 237 votes, way, way over the top. Now, what happened? Well, it was a combination of big bucks and presidential power; the big bucks coming from big business, which really rolled over the Democratic opposition and organized labor. President Clinton and House Republican leaders were able to put together a coalition which, for months, built up momentum, which finally resulted in the easy passage in the House and almost assured passage in the Senate. After the House vote was taken last evening, President Clinton came out in what amounted to a minor gloat.</s>WILLIAM J. CLINTON, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: With more than a billion people, China is the largest new market in the world. Our administration has negotiated an agreement which will open China's markets to American products made on American soil, everything from corn to chemicals to computers. Today, the House has affirmed that agreement. We will be exporting, however, more than our products. By this agreement, we will also export more of one of our most cherished values: economic freedom.</s>FRANKEN: The losing side, organized labor and those conservatives who felt that China was not worthy of such an arrangement, have had their day, and now the successful campaign has established permanent normal trade relations with China. Comes now the question: Will they work? Bob Franken, CNN live, Capitol Hill.</s>HARRIS: Thank you, Bob.
Big Money, Presidential Power Ram PNTR with China Through U.S. House