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.
So many newbies. Later.
Welcome to Free Republic. Banned before, or just jumping on the anti-Bush bandwagon this month for the first time?
The cure? Hmmm...:-)
That's the truth. Did you ever feel so betrayed and sold out? Our own party did it to us!
All the 500 of them :)
Yep, guaranteed.... :)
He knows with whom his moral obligation lies...........which is why he is working to help democracies flourish elsewhere.
I don't think that we are doing as well in a number of areas. Our produce sales are hurting big time to Canada under Nafta. The trade deficit over 4 billion greater than before NAFTA.
We lost over 16,000 jobs in Food processing.
Net farm income declined over 52 billion dollars, a net decline of 10%.
Real farm payments increased 29% since NAFTA.
NAFTA was supposed to increase Mexican workers wages and jobs. Since NAFTA, Mexico has lost 1.3 million jobs, and workers are still flooding into the US in record numbers. It could be argued that NAFTA contributed heavily to illegal immigration.
NAFTA countries continue to put large tarriffs on US produce.
Looking at trade with one state, Texas, Before NAFTA in product after product, exports were higher.
The before and after picture of NAFTA is bleak. Why is the American Economy doing well? Americans work longer and harder than virtually any country on earth. Despite the stupidity and greed in our government, we manage to do well.
CAFTA is just more of the same. You wont get me to accept that it helps though. It will be a destructive influence on our country. We will survive it because we must.
Are you asking me why Dubya Bush doesn't believe in either economic sovereignty OR a sovereign American border?
Can it be any more obvious the man is an Internationalist?
The choice was CAFTA or give Central America to China.
Anybody who doesn't understand that needs to learn about the inroads China is making in the countries below our border.
They understand long-term strategic thinking and chess.
23 posted on 07/27/2005 11:34:15 PM CDT by patriciaruth (They are all Mike Spanns)
Will you crybabies shut up if we create 10 million jobs over the next 3 years with 3.5% GDP growth? Or will you still whine if despite all the good news our trade deficit increases?
They think we're stupid....
Yep, they're selling out our sovereignty -- one piece of silver AND one illegal invader at a time.
This President stinks.
We should only have free trade with free and developed nations.
Does it begin with fingerpainting? ;-)
This is all part of the incremental payment plan American's will be paying for in a very big way. It's going as planned.
It "can." LOL-LOL-LOL
Free trade requires nothing except for lack of rules. CAFTA and NAFTA add pages upon pages of rules.
Who planted this cynical New World Order in your mind?
Don't turn it around on me now.
Where'd you get these ideas? Who's your leader?
The President has stood for U.S. Sovereignty against the UN, and on a large number of issues (Kyoto, World Court, going to Iraq to protect us), BUT he believes in free trade.
To equate free trade with some dark One World Order conspiracy is irrational.
We sell more or less to Canada since NAFTA? We sell more or less to Mexico since NAFTA?
In central America. FTAA here we come.
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