White House waiting for Congress' signal on CAFTA

Reuters ^ | Jun 20, 2005

[hedgetrimmer]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House is waiting for the go ahead from congressional leaders before asking for final votes on a controversial free trade pact with Central America, a top Bush administration official said on Monday.

It is possible to pass the agreement before the end of June if the two top congressional Republicans, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist of Tennessee and House Speaker Dennis Hastert of Illinois, decide they are ready for the pact, U.S. Trade Representative Rob Portman (news, bio, voting record) told reporters.

"I feel good about the progress we've made in the last few weeks. I think the votes will be there in the end," Portman said after a speech to the U.S.-Korea Business Council.

The U.S.-Central American Free Trade Agreement, or CAFTA, faces more opposition than any other trade agreement negotiated so far by the Bush administration.

Labor groups, sugar growers and many textile companies are fighting the pact, which they fear will lead to job losses.

Key Senate and House of Representatives committees recently approved draft legislation to implement CAFTA, which would lower barriers for U.S. exports to Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua and the Dominican Republican as well as lock in preferential trade treatment those countries enjoy in the U.S. market.

Portman said he expected Frist and Hastert to make a decision this week about when they want the White House to submit a final bill.

Once the White House submits the bill, Congress would have 90 days to approve or reject it without making any changes.

Both sides are predicting a close vote in the House. It is possible the Senate could take up the bill first, where passage is more certain, Portman said.

The administration is still talking to members who have concerns about the sugar and textile portions of the bill, as well as broader trade concerns about issues such as China, Portman said.

He warned that rejection of CAFTA would be a blow for the overall U.S. trade agenda: "If CAFTA fails, frankly I think our ability to push global trade talks and other trade initiatives, either regional or bilateral, would be damaged."

[hedgetrimmer]

So they are going to pass this no matter what the American people think.

[hedgetrimmer]

DR-CAFTA to receive Florida FTAA support in D.C.

Florida FTAA said it will lead a lobbying mission in support of the Dominican Republic-Central American Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA) and will hold a series of meetings with members of the Florida Congressional Delegation in Washington, D.C., June 21-23.

Jeb Bush is a founding investor in the Florida FTAA. Its astonishing that the press never speaks of the conflict of interest that public/private partnerships create in our government, let alone the unconstitutionality of them.

[DuckFan4ever]

Hope so. Free trade and open markets are good for everyone. Tariffs that add to costs and enrich governments suck.

[spycatcher]

Combine with NAFTA on steroids and we're up the creek.

[Archon of the East]

"If CAFTA fails, frankly I think our ability to push global trade talks and other trade initiatives, either regional or bilateral, would be damaged."

Free trade is not Fair trade, there is no reason a TREATY needs to be signed to conduct free market international trade.

[hedgetrimmer]

Ultimately "trade agreements are going to place immigration regulatin into the hands of the WTO. I am sure you don't want that, do you?

The international community should acknowledge that while rich countries have a real economic demand for labor, developing ones have a genuine surplus of it. The task then is to find ways to regularize the movement of workers to where they can be productively employed. Perhaps the issue, like other "trade imbalances," can best be addressed under the auspices of the World Trade Organization. Member nations could negotiate immigration quotas in the same way that they fix, say, textile quotas. And if this multilateral approach drags on too long, as many WTO negotiations do, then nations could hammer out bilateral accords.

CAFTA is about giving the WTO permission to regulate immigration to our country (the "rich" country they demonize) instead of the American people doing it. Its about "helping" "poor" countries get rid of their excess workforce by using "trade agreements" to allow illegal immigration into the "rich" countries. The mechanism is in the GATS. Its called Mode 4, and it covers the "free movement of persons". By agreeing to GATS and implementing Mode 4 of GATS our senators and congressmen are giving tacit approval for international trade instutions to intervene in our immigration laws and negotiate the level of immigration we must assume from "poor" countries.

[hedgetrimmer]

Its time to flood the white house and congress with calls to prevent them from signing this agreement.

Its time.

[hedgetrimmer]

You are correct. The only thing that needs to be negotiated are tariffs, and whether or not they will be applied.

[spycatcher]

Then there's the unintended consequences of NAFTA:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1422461/posts

[Archon of the East]

To me it certainly sounds like central planning on a global/ regional scale. Maybe Im being to simpliistic but it seems to me that central and south America have plenty of resources, land and labor, enough certainly to compete globally as long as they have the right government, freedom and work ethic.

[hedgetrimmer]

Then there's the unintended consequences of NAFTA:

Maybe its the intended consequence. I can certainly imagine that Mexicos elite wouldn't want a lot of small landholders around farming. Farmers love their land after all, and some will defend it to the death-- as in our own Revolutionary War.

[Happy2BMe]

CAFTA will hurtcha . .

===============================

The U.S.-Central American Free Trade Agreement, or CAFTA, faces more opposition than any other trade agreement negotiated so far by the Bush administration.

Labor groups, sugar growers and many textile companies are fighting the pact, which they fear will lead to job losses.

[devolve]

If such international treaties control immigration and jobs - I can see many honest Americans soon adopting a few "Spanish words" and skipping those tiresome 1040 forms every spring

The underground economy is exploding in the USA and any government, administration, Congress, or judiciary that bypasses the public will shall find contempt and wholesale dumping of traditional businesses, jobs, and sources of income, assets, property -

The US Supreme Court Justices commented some years ago - that if the our American citizens lose respect and confidence in the judiciary and government - that the public will start picking and choosing the was they wish to obey or use for their own good purposes

Kind of like TYCO, ENRON, the Clintons, liberals, and our politicians and the illegal aliens do every day


Keep your eye on the bouncing ball....

Giving illegal aliens more rights, privilidges, and "bennies" that honest US-born and raised citizens is a violation of the 4th Ammendment to the US Constitution

Read it -

No "treaty" or "agreement" or "Congressional law" can have power over it

The 14th has been used against us and for illegal aliens - "anchor babies" - "equal rights of the people"

Time to use it ourselves now - or lose everything

Ever wonder why the US government lets billions of untaxes income flow to Mexico - yet is ready to put you, the American citizen behind iron bars for years if you have an off-shore bank account?

Equal?

[chainsaw]

Check out "OAS' in Google. Jeb Bush's photo comes up on the first page. This is one more extension of the Tri-Lateral comission. World domination by stages. Europe, Asia, and the Americas.

[A. Pole]

[Archon of the East:] Free trade is not Fair trade, there is no reason a TREATY needs to be signed to conduct free market international trade.

You need treaty to establish the enforcement mechanisms in case when some businesses do no follow the rules of free trade. Otherwise there could be discrimination and preferential treatment given one's own countrymen (whether in US or in Central America).

[Loud Mime]

Just a helping tip: go to thotline.com to find more information on this and an easy way to get your opinions to your members of congress. (use IExplorer)

the more I dug into CAFTA the more I disliked it.

[Loud Mime]

Treaties always have their victims and their profiteers. It makes no sense to place a regulatory burden on US businesses then award government contracts and trade to those who do not have those regulatory tariffs.

These agreements have a long-term pitfall. Trade your cheap wal-mart stuff for lost jobs.....

[swampfox98]

The final nail in the final coffin of the country known as the United States of America. Traitiors all.

[ex-snook]

Thanks for ping. "If CAFTA fails, frankly I think our ability to push global trade talks and other trade initiatives, either regional or bilateral, would be damaged."

Well that's good news. Trade deficit job-exporting deals will be ended. More good jobs can again be created in this country than since President Bush made China a permanent favorite trading partner.

[Archon of the East]

Thanks for the info, consider it done. I have also made called and written letters.