Posted on 07/27/2005 9:14:44 PM PDT by RWR8189
WASHINGTON - The House narrowly approved the Central American Free Trade Agreement early Thursday, a personal triumph for President Bush, who campaigned aggressively for the accord he said would foster prosperity and democracy in the hemisphere.
The 217-215 vote just after midnight adds six Latin American countries to the growing lists of nations with free trade agreements with the United States and averts what could have been a major political embarrassment for the Bush administration.
It was an uphill effort to win a majority, with Bush traveling to Capitol Hill earlier in the day to appeal to wavering Republicans to support a deal he said was critical to U.S. national security.
Lobbying continued right up to the vote, with Vice President Dick Cheney, U.S. Trade Representative Rob Portman (news, bio, voting record) and Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez tracking undecided lawmakers.
The United States signed the accord, known as CAFTA, a year ago with Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic, and the Senate approved it last month. It now goes to the president for his signature.
To capture a majority, supporters had to overcome what some have called free trade fatigue, a growing sentiment that free trade deals such as the North American Free Trade Agreement with Mexico and Canada have contributed to a loss of well-paying American jobs and the soaring trade deficit.
Democrats, who were overwhelmingly against CAFTA, also argued that its labor rights provisions were weak and would result in exploitation of workers in Central America.
But supporters pointed out that CAFTA would over time eliminate tariffs and other trade barriers that impede U.S. sales to the region, correcting the current situation in which 80 percent of Central American goods enter the United States duty-free but Americans must pay heavy tariffs.
The agreement would also strengthen intellectual property protections and make it easier for Americans to invest in the region.
"This is a test of American leadership in a changing world," said Rep. Kevin Brady (news, bio, voting record), R-Texas, a leading proponent of the agreement. "We cannot claim to be fighting for American jobs and yet turn our backs on 44 million new customers in Central America.
Yes, free to take a part-time job at Wal-Mart and move back in with Mom & Dad while struggling to pay off a student loan because one's job was outsourced to a third-world plantation state.
Free trade is a nice theory, but the theory has yet to work as its backers promised.
There's nothing wrong with a middle class developing in foreign countries, but what about the middle class in this country?
Your Quote: Why do you support US companies moving over there?
I don't, never said it, never will.
Your Quote: I just don't agree with the people who insist that Wal-Mart should self-censor their purchase based on politics. If the public doesn't demand American products, and the politicians don't enact barriers, then why should the burden be upon Wal-Mart to discontinue selling Chinese devil products?
Your tagline says you are a "cheerleader for walmart". You are speaking out of both sides of your mouth. So you don;t support companies moving over there but it's o.k. to buy products at WM-that were made in china and exported back to the US???
DO YOU EVEN KNOW WHAT YOU STAND FOR???
"You're just angry because we created 21 million jobs since NAFTA."
When I hear the term "created jobs" I think of socialism. A "created job" is nothing more than a made up job in some new social program, i.e. BIGGER GOVERNMENT. A real job creates itself because of the need for a particular service or product.
Just my opinion.
Actually, I've been a member since 1997; I'm not sure why it indicates that I joined in 2000. But for the past almost-5 years, I've been mostly an observer, rather than a participant, in threads. It's a useful site for my job -- a metro daily newspaper editor -- to be able to vet wire stories that we run as I'm editing them, to ensure fairness, as much as possible.
I don't know why a misunderstanding has engendered such hostility on your part -- to be frank, I really don't care -- but it's obviously degenerated to the point where I think your next post will simply be "liar liar pants on fire" so long as I insist that it truly was coincidence that my post followed yours, and that I was under the impression that the code of posting held that if you wished to comment on a previous post, you should include the poster's name in your response -- otherwise, proximity has nothing to do with it. Would you have taken offense had my post been separated by 1 post from yours? 2? 10? Or should it appear on an entirely new page? Is there a standard amount of time I should wait before posting after you, to ensure you do not again come under the mistaken impression that I'm responding to your post?
You know what? Never mind. Whatever it is you're accusing me of, yes, I did it. So draw up the confession papers, I'll sign them just to shut you up. No need to respond, because I'm pau.
The first three accurate, spin-free words you've posted on this thread, to date. "A journey of a thousand miles," as they say...
I'm pau.
Don't tease.
Finally.
You are so right! Just watch and see what happens now with CAFTA passed into law.
The Republicans as well as the Democrats have sold out their people for the most part and I note the sarcasm in my announcement of going Independent.
I'm afraid we are no longer a sovereign nation and will be open to edicts from the "One World Government" types.
I wonder if we can challenge CAFTA in the courts?
Was anyone around when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor? We were able to snap into a war time mode immediately. All the manufacturing plants were converted to making arms, tanks, vehicles, planes, etc. Now, there is NO machine tool industry in this country. Everything is overseas.
Can you imagine what would happen if we were attacked now - what would we do? Please our orders with China, Korea, Taiwan and God knows who else.
I am sure everyone is aware that the Chinese bought out the personal computer division of IBM. They are also into the manufacture of micro chips that can be used in defense equipment.
My Lady Liberty rest in peace.
So?
We were coming out of the last economic slowdown.
Growth would have happened anyway--
And maybe even more growth without NAFTA.
Sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeesh! And you dare call yourself a Conservative?
"Maybe" is not a substitute for actuality.
So when you say "growth would have happened anyway" I agree, but not as much as it actually did. The stats reveal the impact of NAFTA to have been positive; the reason underlying the economics is absolutely sound. So your implications and speculations contradicting that simply betrays what one would assume to be your concerns about the effects of government policies and reform.
Now ask yourself, who on this thread is arguing much the same thing? Hint: not the "free-traders."
All anyone needs to see is the 2 vote margin. Our rulers gave quarter to everyone they could in passing this hideous thing.
You like to foam at the mouth, go off 1/2 cocked, and accuse others of things they are not "guilty" of.
There are very valid reasons why FORTRESS AMERICA will not only not work, but never be implemented. I have posted a bit about what I think would work, but I guess you've missed it or just ignored it, since it wasn't a cookie cutter replica of your own desires.
I've never made any excuses; just stated facts; something apparently foreign to you. ;^)
I agree LowOiL. I'm from Lexington, NC and this is going to kill whats left of NC's textile and furniture industry. And what's left of American manufactoring really.
What does either of those towns have to do with the fact that 21 million jobs were created since NAFTA? Or that real wages are higher since NAFTA?
I'll speak slowly for you. The American economy has created 21 million new jobs since NAFTA.
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