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.
Who is the seminar poster? I'd like to know which Congressman this one works for. Or what trade group.
You mean you don't know??? I live in the socialist republic of NY but travel to Mexico, an improving republic in transition from feudalism to modern free market state, several times a year. (By the way I have much more in common with traditional conservative Mexican amigos than with many of my liberal leftist Hillary loving colleagues).
Of course there are terrible things happening, just as there are terrible things happening in any number of places in the flux of rapid change. That doesn't mean we give up and build walls. That is not the American way.
I'm off to have a wet burrito and maybe a margarita or 2 tonight.
Dan Burton(R-IN) just said yes to CAFTA, good for him.
"First of all, cotton. Second, the government of these countries are going to start buying goods from the US. This in turn helps their economy, which makes their populace richer, so they can then buy our products."
This is the same old tired refrain the import commission weasels have been using for years. It's just another one of the excuses for transferring the US middle class off to some turd wurld country so a multinational can make more money of the remaining people in the US for as long as that lasts and erode US soveriegnty in the process.
Thanks for the site.
In the last election, the Swift Boat Vets provided a huge breath of fresh air. They were so honest and did the job they set out to do.
Is there any way we could get some of them to run for office. I am so tired of these same ole politicians we have now.
Welcome to the New World Order.
ping to the previous post
"Ron Paul...real bozo."
That "bozo," as you called him, has never voted for any unConstitutional or Constitutionally questionable measure in his entire elected career.
We know where you're coming from, now. It's just a miracle, I guess, that the United States ever achieved economic preeminence, without you guys administering international trade. What did we ever do without you, other than create the greatest country on the face of the earth? And you want to subsume it into some sort of global bureaucratic mishmash, for a few short-term bucks.
Enjoy your wet burrito, and drink a few more margueritas, because I suspect you're going to need it.
There is definitely room in the American political spectrum for a culturally conservative party that will fight for American jobs and sovereignty. It would combine Blacks and the Religious Right. Sure, it would exclude the sodomites and libertarians but electorally, who really needs them ?
Look at what is happenning now. A solid wall of corporate lobbyist money is behind CAFTA. Who is on the other side ? The American people. Even if we lose this could be the Panama Canal Treaty fight that galvanizes a force that will take American politics.
What is the update on when the vote will be.....I've been cubicle bound, and haven't been able to find info.
Things are so much better in Mexico since NAFTA.
I hear there may be an openning for police chief in Nuevo Laredo soon. Interested ?
" elimination of the heavy subsidies to several million farmers resulted in a tremendous rural to urban to US border exodus"
One-a them there strange coincidences, I guess. Nope, nothing to do with NAFTA, no siree bob.
Like I say, there is a crying need for a culturally and economically populist William Jennings Bryan party.
In other words forget what you promised those stupid common people who voted for you . They're too ignorant to know what's good for them. That's why it's up to the elite class to decide for them.
Just ignore them till the next election we'll deal with them then. We'll get together with the Democrat party give'em the old don't waste you vote on a third party scam, or the lesser of two evils ploy and they'll buy it.
We won't have a problem unless they ever figure out neither party listens to peasants and we're both getting our money and orders from the rich ruling class like ourselves. These dummies still think they have Representative government.
The only danger is if they wise up and do something wild like that crazy Minnesota thing and ignore our campaigns and our mass media control and just vote for some third party yokel.
But then we can always use our government agents and media propaganda to make him look like an idiot or a joke.
I mean it worked with Perot when he tried to blow the whistle on NAFTA and told them what we doing to their country and their Constitution with these trade agreements.
Can you imagine the kink in our plans if some third party jerk who wouldn't play ball would get in the White House. We can't ever let that happen no matter what we have to do.
Yeah, forget'm, we'll come up with a line they'll swallow .
Even though they are starting to catch on to what we're doing, it's too late for them to stop us.
Populism = Socialism for brain dead hicks.
I think the vote for CAFTA is coming up now. They just voted for a rule for debate tommorrow on medical liability reform.
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