Senate Panel Narrowly Endorses CAFTA

[meganmonkey]

WASHINGTON (AP) - A Senate committee on Wednesday approved a trade agreement with Latin American nations, moving Congress a step closer to a decision on an accord that may have minimal effects on the U.S. economy but is of considerable political import to the Bush administration.

The Finance Committee approved the agreement by a voice vote, although it was closely divided on the issue. The bill now goes to the full Senate for a vote as early as this week. Passage in the Senate, traditionally more sympathetic to trade agreements, could give the measure some momentum in the House, where there is stiffer opposition.

The Central American Free Trade Agreement, or CAFTA, would end trade barriers now encountered by U.S. goods in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. It also would ease investment rules, strengthen protections for intellectual property and, according to supporters, solidify economic and democratic stability in the region.

But the agreement has run into vigorous opposition from labor groups, and their Democratic allies, who say its provisions on labor rights are weak, and from the U.S. sugar industry, which claims that an increase in Central American imports, while small, could open the door to ruin.

more...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-5106795,00.html

[Toucano]

1. In related news, Labor Department delayed release of trade deal reports

WASHINGTON — The Labor Department kept secret for more than a year government studies that supported Democratic opponents of the Bush administration's new Central American trade deal, internal documents show.

The studies, paid for by the department, concluded that several countries the administration wants to be granted free-trade status have poor working conditions and fail to protect workers' rights. The agency dismissed the conclusions as inaccurate and biased, according to documents reviewed by The Associated Press.

"In practice, labor laws on the books in Central America are not sufficient to deter employers from violations, as actual sanctions for violations of the law are weak or nonexistent," the contractor, the International Labor Rights Fund, wrote in one of the reports.

The studies' conclusions contrast with the administration's arguments that Central American countries have made enough progress on such issues to warrant a free-trade deal with the United States.


http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2005-06-29-cafta-reports_x.htm?csp=34

[redqueen]

2. Would everyone please call and tell them what you think?

877-762-8762

Please... take a few minutes and call...

if you don't know who your Senators are check here.

[meganmonkey]

3. Yes! Everyone should call!!!

[mbperrin]

11. I called beforehand, but since both my senators are TEXAS PUBS,

you know what happened....

[redqueen]

12. Please remind them the State Republican Party Platform here is AGAINST

NAFTA and WTO... remind them that republicans down here KNOW this.

:bounce:

[robcon]

4. GREAT NEWS

Let's hope CAFTA can generate some momentum.

[meganmonkey]

8. Momentum for what?

[Robert Oak]

9. the destruction of the middle class and workers worldwide n/t

[meganmonkey]

10. That's what I was thinking

and environmental destruction. There's always that. Woohoo!

:shrug:

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

15. Don't forget the intellectual "property" racket scheme

Walking and chewing gum at the same time? Gotta pay patent fees to Bill Gates!

[Zhade]

19. I can't WAIT until you can't find work.

It would serve you right, for supporting legislation that destroys the working class in favor of corporations.

[HughBeaumont]

39. Tell me something . . .

when does that imaginary "rising tide" you weird free-market cultists believe in start to lift . . . er . . all boats of the earth?

[SammyWinstonJack]

44. For what?

More outsourcing and destruction of jobs here? Yeah, we need that kind of 'momentum'. :eyes:

[Supersedeas]

5. don't forget that Liddy Dole is a big big big supporter NC

[Elwood P Dowd]

6. One more nail in the coffin of the middle class

Another investment/outsourcing scam masquerading as a "Free Trade" agreement. The economy of the combined CAFTA countries is less than that of New Haven, Conn. The average worker in those countries makes less than $1.00 an hour.

This agreement will have the same tragic results as NAFTA and GATT: American jobs will leave the country, our current account deficit will increase, more middle class americans will suffer, a few wealthy elites in foreign countries will make some extra cash, and a few fat cats in NYC and Washington, DC will make a fortune. Oh, and the Washington politicians that vote for this will be rewarded with bags of cash and other goodies.

[Robert Oak]

7. AFL-CIO CAFTA newsletter w/ email your reps form

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=114x16577

Here is the action alert but 10 point analysis of CAFTA from
the AFL-CIO.

It's in the economy, taxes, jobs DU forum.

You can just click on the link and do a 1,2,3 email form letter to
your representatives to say PLEASE SAY NO.

[redqueen]

13. Thank you!

:yourock:

[redqueen]

14. .

:kick:

[sadiesworld]

16. Corporate whores.

I'm sick of the whole lot of them.

[redqueen]

17. We all are...

:pals:

[Zhade]

21. Not all of us...

Some here actually embrace corporatism and the continuing annihilation of workers' rights in favor of the CEO's takehome pay.

Not me, of course. I think such people are disgusting opportunistic whores who don't care about how people are hurt until it affects them personally.

You know, just like a conservative.

[redqueen]

23. Oh, yeah... I forgot about them.

Well they should stand up and explain why they support the elimination of the middle class, so they can be properly shredded with logic and reason.

:hi:

[realFedUp]

18. www.stopcafta.org

You have got to read the site and call your Senators.
Call Senator Bingaman (D-NM) 202 224-5521 to tell him
to vote no on this extension of NAFTA.

http://www.stopcafta.org

[realFedUp]

20. AP: U.S. Blocked Release of CAFTA Reports

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uslatest/story/0,1282,-5107143,00.html

AP: U.S. Blocked Release of CAFTA Reports

Wednesday June 29, 2005 7:16 PM

By LARRY MARGASAK

Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Labor Department worked for more than a year to maintain secrecy for studies that were critical of working conditions in Central America, the region the Bush administration wants in a new trade pact.

The contractor hired by the department in 2002 to conduct the studies has become a major opponent of the administration's proposed Central American Free Trade Agreement, or CAFTA.

The government-paid studies concluded that countries proposed for free-trade status have poor working environments and fail to protect workers' rights. The department dismissed the conclusions as inaccurate and biased, according to government and contractor documents reviewed by The Associated Press.

The Senate Finance Committee, which approved the agreement by a voice vote Wednesday, sent it to the full Senate for consideration this week or after the Independence Day recess.

The contractor is the International Labor Rights Fund.

continued

[realFedUp]

22. "winning by the thinnest of margins"

snip

The top Democrat on the committee, Sen. Max Baucus of sugar beet-growing Montana, opposes CAFTA, breaking with his usual support of trade agreements.

In addition to saying that the agreement was bad for the sugar industry, he criticized the administration for rejecting a proposal to help U.S. service industry workers who lose their jobs because of foreign competition and for not consulting more with Congress.

``They appear to want to win by the thinnest of margins,'' he said,

[realFedUp]

24. David Sirota-Bush Tries to Bury Report On CAFTA

http://www.davidsirota.com/2005/06/bush-tries-to-bury-report-on-cafta.html

Bush Tries to Bury Report On CAFTA

The Associated Press has an explosive report about how the White House tried to bury a government-sponsored study of labor conditions in Central America, because it would expose the lies behind the administration's claims that the Central American Free Trade Agreement will help workers.

Here are the key excerpts from AP:

"The Labor Department worked for more than a year to maintain secrecy for studies that were critical of working conditions in Central America, the region the Bush administration wants in a new trade pact...Behind the scenes, the Labor Department began as early as spring 2004 to block public release of the country-by-country reports...The department instructed its contractor to remove the reports from its Web site, ordered it to retrieve paper copies before they became public, banned release of new information from the reports, and even told the contractor it could not discuss the studies with outsiders...At the same time, the administration began a pre-emptive campaign to undercut the study's conclusions."

Bush has made an art out of burying or hiding government data. Luckily, though, his dishonesty caught up with him BEFORE the final vote on CAFTA, not after it. Let's see if it makes a difference.


Sources:
Full AP story on Bush hiding CAFTA report:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050629/ap_on_go_ot/free_trade_studies_5;_ylt=ApI0sVKdJjmlCJm1T3Xr5SN11AEB;_ylu=X3oDMTBiMW04NW9mBHNlYwMlJVRPUCUl
Bush has buried or hid government data before:
http://www.davidsirota.com/2005/04/bush-bad-data-means-stop-publishing.html

[arcos]

25. kick! say no to CAFTA! nt

[Senior citizen]

26. CAFTA sucks! Tell your Congresscritters to just say NO!

This is just soooooooo disgustin'

:kick:

[confludemocrat]

27. Approved by a voice vote--goddamn cowards (n/t)

[stickdog]

28. Fuck CAFTA. NAFTA brought lower wages to the US and Mexico.

Note that this was the idea all along, and is the driving force behind CAFTA as well.

[robcon]

29. NAFTA did just the opposite.

The economy post-NAFTA boomed in the U.S., and recovered nicely in Mexico. But the biggest positive impact on the U.S. economy in the 90's was the growth of imports from China... even more positive than NAFTA, and easily more positive than the internet bubble.

CAFTA won't have as big a positive outcome as NAFTA, but it will be positive.

[meganmonkey]

30. And by the economy boom...

do you mean that the corporations made more profits off of all the cheap crap Americans bought (much of it on credit, btw) because they could import it cheaper, so the rich got richer and the rest went in debt, which is just NOT a sustainable way to do things? Now China is starting to own our 'economy' and the US is under-and un-employed and losing our infrastructure and ability to produce ANYTHING tangible in an affordable way.

That economic boom? I can do without the landfills full of cheap plastic crap and watching the country declare bankruptcy.

:shrug:

[robcon]

31. By economic boom, I mean...

the lowest unemployment and lowest rate of bankruptcies in 30 years, lower homelessness, largest participation in the workforce in history, roaring stock market, low inflation, low interest rates, etc.

[stickdog]

32. What country are you living in again?

[robcon]

37. I'm living in the same one that Bill Clinton was president of.

And in the 90's NAFTA contributed to the economic well-being of America.

[stickdog]

40. Let's see the real wage increases of the bottom 90% since NAFTA passed.

Let's employment vs. employable age population since NAFTA passed.

Gains made under Clinton are no more than nominal when you include Bush II's 4.5 years. But if you listen carefully, you can still hear that giant sucking sound ...

[stickdog]

33. Show us how real wages for the bottom 90% have boomed in both countries.

Please. Some evidence would be useful, since this is very counterintuitive to anyone who isn't somehow still riding that dot com boom wave.

[meganmonkey]

38. Exactly. The 'boom' is totally unsustainable

I prefer longer-term solutions to things, and for me 10 years is not long-term. In environmental destruction 10 years is a perfect amount of time to f*** things up, compared to hundreds or thousands to recover. In economics, even the large corporations are failing one after another because you cannot sustain growth or even stability that is based on bad practices - and who suffers? The working and retiring men and women who are losing their pensions and health care, and the folks in other countries who were barely making livable wages and whose jobs are about to be re-outsourced to even cheaper places.

[eridani]

35. The 'economy' improved while actual people got fucked over n/t

[idlisambar]

45. Is this the prosperity you're talking about...

Figure 2: U.S. Current Account Deficit

[burrowowl]

34. And do you know why?

Senators from sugar beet producing areas. Not to mention the sugar farmers in Florida ruinging the Everglades.

[Judi Lynn]

36. Senate takes up Central America trade pact

Published: Thursday, June 30, 2005

Senate takes up Central America trade pact
Associated Press

WASHINGTON - The Senate took up the Central America Free Trade Agreement on Wednesday, with supporters predicting success in overcoming strong resistance to the market-opening deal with six Latin American nations.

President Bush and his top trade officials have lobbied hard for CAFTA, which received a crucial endorsement earlier Wednesday from the Senate Finance Committee. A Senate vote could come as early as today.

The greater hurdle will come when the House takes up the measure in July. House Democrats who object to what they say are weak labor rights provisions in the agreement will be joined in opposition by Republicans with ties to groups, most notably the sugar industry, that would be hurt by CAFTA.

The trade accord was signed a year ago with Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. It requires congressional approval before going into effect.
(snip/...)

http://heraldnet.com/stories/05/06/30/100bus_trade001.cfm

[Algorem]

41. Congressman Sherrod Brown-Send CAFTA Back To The Drawing Board

http://www.house.gov/sherrodbrown/cafta.htm

CAFTA

We can rebuild it ... we have the technology
Congressman Brown is leading the fight in the House against the Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA). CAFTA is the latest in a series of trade pacts that compromise worker and environmental protections at home and abroad and make American jobs our fastest-growing export.

House Republican leadership set a "deadline" of Memorial Day for a House vote on CAFTA. With that deadline passed, Congressman Brown has urged the Bush Administration to renegotiate the agreement. By rebuilding CAFTA with provisions that afford environmental and labor concerns the same protection as commercial and intellectual property concerns, the US can begin developing a responsible trade policy that strengthens America's trading partners and safeguards American jobs.

The materials on this page describe the widespread opposition to CAFTA as currently drafted and underscore the need to begin building a stronger, smarter, more progressive trade policy.

The Economy


Hearing StatementPDF
Congressman Brown's statement at an Energy and Commerce Committee hearing on CAFTA...

[natrat]

42. another list of democrat scumbags who vote for this

[realFedUp]

43. List here

WHO TO CALL TO TELL THIS TO:
(Call the Capital Switchboard # 202-225-3121 and ask
to be connected to each of these people, and after
you're done talking with each one ask to be
reconnected to the switchboard so you can be connected
to the next one):

REPUBLICANS:

Charles Grassley, IA
Orrin Hatch, UT
Trentt Lott, MS
Olympia Snowe, ME
Jon Kyl, AZ
Craig Thomas, WY
Rick Santorum, PA
Bill Frist, TN
Gordon Smith, OR
Jim Bunning, KY
Mike Crapo, (pronounced "CRAY-PO") ID

DEMOCRATS
Max Baucus, MT
John D. Rockefeller,IV, WV
Kent Conrad, ND
Jeff Bingaman, NM
John Kerry, MA
Blanche Lincoln, AR
Ron Wyden, OR
Charles Schumer, NY

http://capwiz.com/lef/mail/oneclick_compose/?alertid=77...