Peru trade pact clears major hurdle in Congress

[OhioChick]

Source: Reuters

Tue Sep 25, 2007 4:40pm EDT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A key U.S. House of Representatives committee gave preliminary approval on Tuesday to a free trade pact with Peru hailed by senior Democrats as the first installment of a new trade policy.

The House Ways and Means Committee approved, by a voice vote, a draft bill to implement the pact -- after the Bush administration agreed earlier this year to beef up the agreement's labor and environmental provisions.

Although a number of Democrats remain opposed to the Peru deal, House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel hailed the vote as a "historic" sign the two major U.S. parties could work together on trade after years of ugly fights.

"There should not be a Republican or Democratic trade policy. Instead, we should have an American trade policy," the New York Democrat said.



Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSWAT00815620070925

[MikeNearMcChord]

1. An American Trade Policy?

That exports American Jobs? :wtf: How can any Democrat with a conscience vote for this?

[monktonman]

2. Conscience being the key word

you dont really have to be a good guy to be a Dem.
Why would you when all you have to do is make voters
hate republics more than you.

Most of our Dem candidates will vote for this while saying they stand
firmly with American labor.
Every one. except DK.

[OHdem10]

3. In the Schumer hearing on "State of America and Economy"

A Republican Economist and a free trader from the Univeristy of Chicago
told the Committee these individual trade deals with so many different
countries is contributing to problems in economy. He is a Free Trader.

Democrats cannot say they are for the middle class and ram through
legislation that is intended to destroy the middle class.

EDS announced 1200 more jobs to India.

Cramer, Mad Money explains the GM strike is intended to break the
union. According to Cramer , similar to Catepillar situation--
Union broken. GM costs go down. CM stock skyrockets and Wall Street
sings and our investor class counts their money.

So Charlie Rangel keeps the Dems on track to betray the Middle Class

[w4rma]

4. Yup. I've been noticing that pattern with Mr. Rangel. (nt)

[Joanne98]

5. HELL NO!!!!!!!!!!!

[pampango]

6. Does anyone know if the "labor and environmental provisions" have been

"beefed up" enough for this to be considered a "fair trade" deal?

Is so, can we support a deal like this? If not, what are its shortcomings?

[vireo]

8. Oil and gas industry giveaway

When Big Oil companies are going full steam on a stealth lobbying mission for more access to the Amazon, it doesn't take a geological engineering degree to realize that whatever they are pushing is probably bad for the environment.

So, it's more than a little disturbing that Democrats in Congress are scheduling a vote on one of Big Oil's top legislative priorities - an expansion of NAFTA to the South American country of Peru that would give them powerful new rights to ravage the endangered Amazon rainforest.

Indigenous leaders from the Peruvian Amazon are in Washington, DC right now urging the U.S. Congress to save their Amazon rainforest home and help stop global warming by defeating the Bush administration's proposed NAFTA expansion.<1> But they need our help!

Please urge your representatives in Congress to save the Amazon from Big Oil's Peru NAFTA scheme - and vote NO on HR 3688, the Peru "free trade" agreement (Peru FTA).

Take action here: http://action.citizen.org/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=17124

[cosmicdot]

7. kicking for attention

"fast-track rules do apply" (a corporate term, fasttrack, used to govern)
"automatically be brought to the House floor";
"amendments will not be allowed"

just an up down vote???