|
In Bush win, House nanrrowly approves CAFTA
(AP)
Updated: 2005-07-28 14:47
President Bush insisted that the small trade agreement with six Latin
American nations would pay big dividends for security, stability and freedom in
the Western Hemisphere. After persistent lobbying by the White House, Congress
finally agreed.
It took personal visits from the president and vice president, along with
strenuous arm-twisting from Republican leaders, before the House passed the
Central American Free Trade Agreement early Thursday by a two-vote margin,
217-215.
The Senate approved CAFTA last month 54-45, and it now goes to the president
for his signature.
It was a major victory for the Bush administration, which had to fend off
claims by critics that the pact would harm American workers.
"CAFTA helps ensure that free trade is fair trade," the president said in a
statement following the vote. "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 accord eventually eliminates tariffs and other trade barriers between the
United States and Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and
the Dominican Republican. The countries signed the trade deal a year ago.
Those nations join Australia, Chile, Singapore, Jordan and Morocco in seeing
free trade agreements approved during Bush's time in office.
The president took some political risk placing the relatively small trade
pact at the top of his economic agenda. He and numerous administration officials
advertised the agreement as a tool to give fragile Latin American democracies
the opportunity for stability and prosperity.
The House vote, supposed to take 15 minutes, dragged on for an hour as
negotiations swirled around the floor among GOP leaders and rank-and-file
members reluctant to vote for the agreement. In the end, 27 Republicans voted
against CAFTA, while 15 Democrats supported it.
House Republican leaders prevailed over mostly Democratic objections that the
agreement leaves American workers vulnerable to losing their jobs, and Latin
American workers vulnerable to laboring without employment protections.
"It will widen the gap between the haves and have-nots, weaken labor and
environmental standards and set a dangerous precedent for future trade
agreements," said Rep. Robert Menendez (news, bio, voting record), D-N.J.
Those who backed the agreement said goods like the apples, pears and cherries
grown in Washington state and the corn, soybeans and tractors produced in
Illinois will be sold free of duties in a market of 44 million people.
It levels the playing field with the Latin American nations party to the deal
that already escape duties on 80 percent of their exports to the United States,
they said.
Bush administration officials dispatched to sell the idea to reluctant
lawmakers said the stakes went beyond a newly opened market in a region that
bought about $15 billion worth of U.S. goods last year.
They used a national security argument, saying that rejecting the deal would
impoverish the region and undermine new and fragile democracies. Instability and
poverty would drive people north and increase the flow of illegal immigrants
into the United States.
"Certainly CAFTA doesn't fix all the problems facing Central America," said
Rep. Jim Kolbe (news, bio, voting record), R-Ariz. "But increased integration
can only add jobs and help alleviate poverty, reduce the flow of migration
northward and make the region more competitive in world markets."
The administration won over several Republicans by pledging to protect
textiles from Central American imports, but some never warmed to the agreement.
A few lawmakers from states that produce textiles and sugar continued to fear
that new imports would wipe out industries in their districts.
"I don't see any benefits for workers, for sugar people," said Democratic
Rep. Charlie Melancon, who said his family owed everything to 225 years of sugar
production in his home state of Louisiana.
"We've given away textiles. We've given away steel. We've given away fruits
and vegetables," Melancon said. "Now let's just go ahead and give away
everything and be dependent on every other country for our food and our
defense."
The House also passed legislation strengthening the monitoring of China's
trade policies, a bill that GOP leaders brought to the floor to satisfy
lawmakers who wavered in support for CAFTA because they said the United States
wasn't tough enough in enforcing trade laws.
|
 | | | American women call for end of war | | |  | | | Israeli forces storm Gaza settlement | | |  | | | South Korean, DPRK separated families hold video reunions | | |
|
| |
 |
|
|
|
|
Today's
Top News |
|
|
|
Top World
News |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
