Posted on 07/27/2005 10:42:51 AM PDT by Happy2BMe
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Bush urged Republican hold outs on Wednesday to back a controversial free trade agreement with Central America, and party leaders predicted he would win but only after a tough fight for votes.
"The president reminded us that we come here not only to represent our district but to represent the nation," House of Representatives Majority Leader Tom DeLay told reporters after a Capitol Hill meeting between Bush and House Republicans, many of whom have opposed it on the grounds that it will hurt industries in their regions. "It will be a tough vote but we'll pass CAFTA tonight," the Texas Republican said. "We will honor our commitments to the south, we will protect our national security and will do it all with very few Democrats."
The long-awaited vote would end months of uncertainty about the fate of the U.S.-Central American Free Trade Agreement, or CAFTA, which lowers trade barriers between the United States, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic.
The White House has a harder time rounding up votes for CAFTA than for any other recent trade pact because of stiff opposition from many Republicans in textile and sugar-producing states who fear it will cause job losses.
In addition, most Democrats oppose CAFTA on the grounds that its labor provisions are not tough enough for a region with a poor record on workers' rights. The White House says the labor provisions are stronger than any previous trade agreement and consistent with guidelines Congress set in 2002.
Bush appealed to House Republicans to put aside any "parochial interests" they might have about CAFTA and look at the broader benefits of the pact to the United States and the six other countries, DeLay said.
"It is good for our national security in supporting these fledging democracies at our back door. It is good in our effort against illegal immigration. It is good for our economy," DeLay said.
DeLay said Republicans would gavel the CAFTA vote to a close "when we get 218," the number of votes needed for approval. Republican leaders have angered Democrats in the past by holding votes open until they finally pressure enough party members to vote the way the leadership wants.
CHINA TRADE VOTE
Several Republicans from the textile states of South Carolina, Alabama and Georgia are expected to support CAFTA after reaching a deal with Republican leaders and U.S. Trade Representative Rob Portman to address specific concerns.
However, many Republicans from North Carolina -- which has experienced heavy textile job losses -- have remained opposed.
The Bush administration also has made promises aimed at reducing sugar industry opposition to the pact, but many Republicans from sugar-producing states such as Louisiana, Florida, Montana and Idaho continue to have concerns.
The vote on CAFTA will be proceeded by a vote on Republican bill aimed at addressing a number of trade issues with China. House leaders expect to pick up the support of some Republicans in industrial states like Pennsylvania with that bill.
Only six Democrats have publicly announced their support for CAFTA. Portman told Reuters he remained hopeful that many more would vote for it in the end, but declined to give any estimate.
Portman said he had just come from a meeting with three undecided Democrats and they had refused to tell him on they planned to vote on CAFTA.
If you really believe that to be true I want some of what you're smoking.
I do not smoke, how about you?
Yet containing no name calling.
"They are bucking Bush, who is encoraging the massive invasion of illegal aliens into this country, which will be further aggravated by CAFTA. And now the Council on Foreign Relations has issued a task force report saying that the U. S., Canada and Mexico should be merged so that an enlarged border would "protect" us all. What kind of madness will Americans stand for? "
Stay tuned, and we will find out.
I just got off the phone to Democrat Ruben Hinojosa office, rep. 14th district in south Texas. He is still undecided. So I think he and Ortiz will vote with CAFTA.
This is one thing that I have thought of looking up, but haven't. Maybe, one of you can answer. What country in the world uses of secretariat, minister and tribunals as their governing agencies?
Looking at NAFTA, Mexico has a presidente, congress and courts. Canada has parliment, prime minister and courts. The US has president, congress and courts. So why in the he!! are we going to tribunals, secretariats and ministers? I know the UN uses these secretariats, ministers and tribunals but aren't these trade agreements suppposed to be written by the agreeing countries.
When we get that CAFTA HALL OF SHAME going, you should put your information about your reps. there.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1451688/posts?page=156#156
Main forum is here
This web site is a hobby, not a FR by any means but it is a good place to archeve articles cause it's got a full text search engine built into it. Just remind me to runs the indexer every now and then.
Quote: Things are getting better in old Mexico and NAFTA has helped in that regard
Yeah because mexico shipped their illiterate scumball unemployeed citizens up to the good ol USA.
Thanks a bunch!!
"Lets keep track of the Congressmen who sold us out and unelect them."
It is time that we did a complete house cleaning from top to bottom, front to back and the yard!
Do not re-elect a single sole in DC. We need to start over!
Here's a place to do it... compliments of jpsb
http://www.radiocity.dynip.com/RadioCity/HtmlPages/Vault/1332.htm
Be ashamed. One thing about anonymous internet: You never know who you are talking to on it.
"except maybe some protectionist left wingers who ear competition in the marketplace."
Again, be ashamed.
There are several reasons emigration from Mexico to the US has occurred and your emotional response does not do anything to help matters. Let me just touch on a couple things you should know (I think you know most of this)
First the peso devaluation under Salinas caused the value of pesos earned in US dollars to increse causing Mexicans to emigrate and second, elimination of the heavy subsidies to several million farmers resulted in a tremendous rural to urban to US border exodus. And more: More than one-fourth of Mexico's 30 million workers still work in agriculture, most on relatively small farms, many heavily subsidized by the Mexican government, and many involved in corn and bean production.
It will take time but the solution is not building barriers but opening markets and reforming trade policy.
One thing the founding fathers abhorred was stuck in the mud protectionists.
Ron Paul...real bozo. Isn't he the guy who wants to do away with the Patriot Act?
Nuff said.
Had a little database bug, I patched around it for the time being, things should work OK now, I'll dig in a fix the bug this week-end. The Reporter is a hobby, wanted to learn Java and Java Servlets years ago so I wrote the The Reporter as a fun way to learn. If it starts getting used I'll put some time into it and make it nicer (any programmers wanta help?). But I think it will be fine for limited use as is.
Aren't all the jobs to illegal alians?
Nuff said.
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