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CAFTA Opponents Gaining Ground

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HAY MAKER

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CAFTA Opponents Gaining Ground



House opponents of the US-Central America free trade agreement already are moving within sight of the 218 votes needed to defeat the trade deal, while supporters are lagging far behind, according to a survey of members' offices conducted by WTD (WTD, 5/16/05).

WTD's poll currently shows 165 members say they will or are likely to vote against CAFTA. That total includes 139 Democrats, 25 Republicans and one Independent.

Seventy three members – overwhelmingly Republican – say they will or are likely to vote for CAFTA. Only three Democrats so far say they will vote for the trade pact. Supporters have said they may need as many at two dozen Democrats.

Of the 292 members responding to the survey, 54 said they are undecided or have not taken a position as yet. They include 36 Republicans and 18 Democrats.

There are 231 Republican House members, 202 Democrats, one Independent and one vacancy – the Ohio seat that was until recently occupied by new US Trade Representative Rob Portman, whose job it now is to convince his former colleagues to support CAFTA.

Among mainline Democrats opposing CAFTA, concern about lack of decent labor standards in Central America – and the failure of the agreement to ensure those standards improve – is most often cited as the reason for opposition. But among opponents – and some of those still undecided – there also are concerns about the impact of free trade with Central America on the US sugar and textiles industries. In particular, many of the Republicans opposing CAFTA are from districts that produce textiles or sugar.

Several textile state members complained that loopholes in the accord would allow China to easily transship through the region. But some previous CAFTA opponents told WTD they are reconsidering their stance in light of the backing of the agreement by one major textile organization – the National Council of Textile Organizations (WTD, 5/10/05).

Enforcement of Trade Agreements – China

Other issues have emerge among skeptical members – including the general sense of dissatisfaction with the Bush Administration's record on enforcing existing trade agreements. Growing trade problems with China – ranging from lack of intellectual property rights enforcement to currency manipulation – were frequently cited. House Ways and Means Committee member Rep. Phil English (R-Pa) has been vocal about the fact that he is "solidly" undecided on CAFTA in part because of lax trade law enforcement. Several lawmakers representing districts where there is a large entertainment industry said they want to see the US government clamping down on rampant Chinese counterfeiting before they commit to CAFTA.

Interestingly, the 10-year old North American Free Trade Agreement emerges as another factor in members' decisions to oppose CAFTA. Members – including some who voted for NAFTA – told WTD the trade pact resulted in the devastating of some key industries in their districts – and has not raised living standards in Mexico or the United States, as its supporters promised. One Congressional aide noted that NAFTA was bad for his member's district – "and there is no reason to think CAFTA will be any better."

Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick – who negotiated CAFTA when he was US Trade Representative – predicted yesterday that Congress will ultimately approve CAFTA with a bipartisan majority. He expressed confidence that Congress "will not turn its back on" the fragile democracies of Central America.

In remarks to the Heritage Foundation, Mr. Zoellick blasted labor and sugar opposition to CAFTA. He criticized US labor unions for their "short-sighted protectionism" and their failure to offer anything better for the people of Central America. "They claim to be concerned about worker rights, yet seem to ignore the devastation for workers that would result from defeating the agreement," he said.

The former US Trade Representative also had a warning for the US sugar industry, saying that it risks alienating itself from the rest of US agriculture. CAFTA was carefully crafted to protect the US sugar industry by retaining quotas, tariffs and providing a special compensation mechanism that would allow the United States to cut off the small increases in sugar imports from the region if the US industry is being harmed, he said. If that deal is still not good enough for sugar, Mr. Zoellick suggested that the Administration might want to think about overhauling the US sugar program during the upcoming farm bill re-write
 
Hayseed caption: "Words that ~SH~ lives by... I need not suffer in silence while I can still whimper, moan, and complain."

How ironic coming from the king of piss and moan.


Words that Hayseed lives by ... "GRADESCHOOL WERE THE BEST DAMN 10 YEARS OF MY LIFE"!
 
~SH~ said:
Hayseed caption: "Words that ~SH~ lives by... I need not suffer in silence while I can still whimper, moan, and complain."

How ironic coming from the king of p*** and moan.


Words that Hayseed lives by ... "GRADESCHOOL WERE THE BEST DAMN 10 YEARS OF MY LIFE"!

A man dont need much schooling when you are willing to work.Stay away from debt,keep your cattle numbers manageable,dont farm out anything you can do yourself.Dont worry bout getting rich,start early and work hard,come sun down a little whiskey and some female companionship its what I call the good life plain and simple.But I understand how an educated derelict that earns a meager living with his mouth would have trouble understanding this ................good luck
 
HAY MAKER said:
~SH~ said:
Hayseed caption: "Words that ~SH~ lives by... I need not suffer in silence while I can still whimper, moan, and complain."

How ironic coming from the king of p*** and moan.


Words that Hayseed lives by ... "GRADESCHOOL WERE THE BEST DAMN 10 YEARS OF MY LIFE"!

A man dont need much schooling when you are willing to work.Stay away from debt,keep your cattle numbers manageable,dont farm out anything you can do yourself.Dont worry bout getting rich,start early and work hard,come sun down a little whiskey and some female companionship its what I call the good life plain and simple.But I understand how an educated derelict that earns a meager living with his mouth would have trouble understanding this ................good luck

Haymaker can I adopt you? If not as a son how about a dad or grand dad?
Give him hell, your doin' great! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
 
Thanks Jinglebob,just tellin it like it is,I been workin hard all my life ,it aint hurt me yet.............good luck
 

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