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Congresswoman
Kaptur issues statement
U.S.
Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-9), a Democrat who has seen
the ill effects of NAFTA, agreed with Dingell.
“Again
the leaders of this Congress have rammed through a lopsided trade
deal, by the thinnest margin of 2 votes, with a final tally after
midnight
of 217-215. DR-CAFTA
will be another job-killing trade agreement the American people
don’t want. The clock was held open for more than an hour as arm
twisting and deal making swept across the floor of Congress.
“The
efforts of those who fought against this deal were noble.
They upheld the enduring ideals of liberty for all people,
and the hope of rising living standards with decent working and
environmental conditions,” said Kaptur.
“Our
resolve contributed to strengthening the broad public support that
grows each year for changing these flawed agreements.
The American people know Congress is selling out their
interests and middle class living standards.
It is just some in this Congress who still choose to dance
to different drummers.
“The
cause of achieving free trade among free people is long,
difficult, and worthy, indeed the most compelling economic
struggle of our time. Advocates
for change are gaining ground.
Compared to the vote a decade ago on NAFTA, which
carried by a margin of only thirty-four votes, this vote was even
more razor thin. It
barely crawled across the finish line.
Those that sought to quash our voices failed and the
worthiness of our cause forced them to work hard for every vote
they eked out. The
toe-to-toe nature of this battle, as NAFTA before it, shows the
moral ground on which we stand is firm.
“The
American people stand with us as we struggle forward to place the
highest principles of a free people in these trade accords.
Onward to the future with our cause that will not rest
until justice to all people, not just the global economic giants,
finally prevail.”
Kaptur
recently received a 100 percent rating from the National
Hispanic Leadership Agenda (NHLA) for the first and second
sessions of the 108th Congress.
The NHLA compiled the legislative scorecard to inform
Latinos about Senators and Members of Congress’s record on
issues of importance to Latino communities.
Baldemar
Velásquez, president of the Farm Labor Organizing Committee (FLOC),
has also been opposed to such a NAFTA-extension with DR-CAFTA.
In
Washington
,
D.C.
, Nancy Pelosi, U.S. Democratic Leader, stated, “I oppose
CAFTA because it is a step backward for workers in
Central America
and it is a job killer.” The Congressional Hispanic Caucus
agreed.
But
Bush hails vote
Bush
hailed the vote. “CAFTA helps ensure that free trade is fair
trade,” he said in a statement issued by the White House. “By
lowering trade barriers to American goods in Central American
markets to a level now enjoyed by their goods in the U.S., this
agreement will level the playing field and help American workers,
farmers and small businesses.’’
The
United States signed the accord, known as CAFTA, a year ago with
Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and the
Dominican Republic, and the Senate approved it last month, 56-44
[S-1307]. It now goes to Bush for his signature.
To
capture a majority, supporters had to overcome what some have
called free trade fatigue, a growing sentiment that free trade
deals such as NAFTA have contributed to a loss of well-paying
U.S.
jobs and the soaring trade deficit.
Democrats,
who were overwhelmingly against CAFTA, also argued that its labor
rights provisions were weak and would result in exploitation of
workers in
Central America
.
But
supporters said that CAFTA would over time eliminate tariffs and
other trade barriers that impede
U.S.
sales to the region, correcting the current situation in which 80
percent of Central American goods enter the
United States
duty-free but U.S. Americans must pay heavy tariffs.
“This
is a test of American leadership in a changing world,’’ said
Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Texas, a leading proponent of the agreement.
“We cannot claim to be fighting for American jobs and yet turn
our backs on 44 million new customers in
Central America
.
In
the end, it was the national security argument—that rejection of
the deal would further impoverish the region, undermine their
democracies and exacerbate the flow of illegal immigrants into the
United States
—that appeared to persuade some wavering members.
The
president, said White House press secretary Scott McLellan,
stressed to Republicans “the importance of supporting young and
emerging democracies in our own hemisphere, and the importance of
strengthening democracy here in our own hemisphere. And that was
something that clearly resonated with members of the House.”
“It
is good for our national security in supporting these fledgling
democracies at our back door,” House Majority Leader Tom DeLay,
R-Texas, sponsor of the bill.
To
allay lawmakers’ concerns about the
U.S.
sugar and textile industries, the administration also won over
several Republicans by pledging protection from Central American
imports.
Not
all were convinced. Rep. Howard Coble, R-N.C., who voted against
the accord, said he told Bush that his late mother was a textile
worker and that when textile workers urged him to vote against
CAFTA, “said to the president, ‘it’s my mamma talking to
me.’’’
Some
textile groups now support the pact because it could help Central
American clothing manufacturers, which buy large quantities of
U.S.
fabric and material, compete against Chinese goods, which have
almost no
U.S.
content.
The
House on Wednesday also passed legislation strengthening the
monitoring of China’s trade policies, a bill that GOP leaders
brought to the floor to satisfy several lawmakers who were
undecided on CAFTA because they said the United States wasn’t
tough enough in enforcing trade laws.
Bush
has invested considerable time and effort to winning approval of
CAFTA. For example, he invited the leaders of all six nations to a
White House meeting and has spoken to Latino and business groups
and with dozens of lawmakers.
In
addition to the six new CAFTA nations and the NAFTA nations
Canada
and México, the
United States
has free trade agreements with
Australia
,
Chile
,
Singapore
,
Jordan
and
Israel
. Congress has also approved a free trade pact with
Morocco
that has yet to go into effect.
Editor’s
Note: The House bill is H.R. 3045. Rico
de La Prensa contributed to this report.
Final
Vote Results for Roll Call 443
Summary
of the House Bill 3045
Membership of the 109th Congress: A Profile
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