Posted on 06/29/2005 9:44:25 AM PDT by hedgetrimmer
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.
Sen. Jeff Bingaman (news, bio, voting record), D-N.M., a key undecided vote on the Finance Committee, announced he was supporting the pact after the administration answered some of his concerns about the "serious lack of attention to the enforcement of worker rights."
He said he had pledges of an extra $40 million over four years to promote labor laws. The administration also told him it will spend $30 million over five years to help subsistence farmers in three Central American countries who might be displaced by an increase in U.S. agriculture imports.
The Bush administration has waged a relentless lobbying effort in the past month. President Bush invited all six CAFTA presidents to the White House and hailed the agreement in several recent speeches to Hispanic-American and other groups. U.S. Trade Representative Rob Portman (news, bio, voting record) and Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns are constantly on Capitol Hill, talking to undecided lawmakers.
Johanns met Monday with senators and representatives of the sugar industry, and again on Tuesday with lawmakers, to discuss proposals to assure that CAFTA will not undermine the industry's future viability. Those plans included the government buying up increased sugar cane imports from Central America to be used in the production of ethanol.
Republican Sen. Craig Thomas (news, bio, voting record), whose state of Wyoming has a large sugar beet industry, told the Finance Committee that "it distresses me a little" that only now, when a final vote on CAFTA is looming, is the administration getting serious about the sugar issue.
But Sen. Trent Lott (news, bio, voting record), R-Miss., suggested that there could be repercussions for the industry, always well-protected by Congress, if it succeeded in scuttling the agreement. "This could be devastating to them if not handled right," he said.
The top Democrat on the committee, Sen. Max Baucus (news, bio, voting record) 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,
Nobody wanted that to show up on record.
This comes as no suprise.
"Nobody wanted that to show up on record."
Good insight. Think you're right on. Can they pull the same stunt on the Senate floor?
One more, just out on the wires.
(Is it any wonder our American farmers are leaving the farming and ranching livelihoods by the droves?)
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Sen. Jeff Bingaman (news, bio, voting record), D-N.M., a key undecided vote on the Finance Committee, announced he was supporting the pact after the administration answered some of his concerns about the "serious lack of attention to the enforcement of worker rights."He said he had pledges of an extra $40 million over four years to promote labor laws. The administration also told him it will spend $30 million over five years to help subsistence farmers in three Central American countries who might be displaced by an increase in U.S. agriculture imports.
In other words, globalization must not be stopped! Globalization must occur no matter the cost!
BOHICA!
Well, you can see it developing now. Open borders right down to Panama.
Yeah, displaced Central American farmers will be offered relocation assistance to the United States, with a complete package of nanny-state welfare benefits.
Johanns and Derbez Sign Partnership to Promote USDA Rural Development Programs
Voice vote in a committee surely means passage on the Senate floor. I am not sure if conservatives in the House can block Hastert from pushing this through.
" Uber-globalist Henry Kissenger must be pleased today."
The guy is a reptilian plant from the planet Mongo. I'm sure of it.
"Well, you can see it developing now. Open borders right down to Panama."
Nah, that's just tin-foil-hat talk. It's what those crazy Birchers have been talking about for 50 years.
As far as I know... NAFTA grew jobs and our economy. I will go ahead and look up info if necessary but I remember a lot of the myths being exploded.
I also have a buddy who is in the sugar business here as a grower. We have this discussion a lot. And he agrees he wouldnt support the government supporting other business' like for instance, Amtrak, airline bailouts, etc. But for some reason its ok to prop his industry?
Here is a Heritage Foundation take on it. I am assuming they did their homework.
http://www.heritage.org/Research/TradeandForeignAid/jtf5.cfm
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