FINAL CAFTA VOTE ROLL CALL - How did your Congressman Vote?

CongressionalRecord ^

[MikeA]

Let's face it, much of the no voting on CAFTA by Democrats was just yet another pathetic attempt by Dems. to try to prevent Bush from having anything to claim credit for. They fear what increased free trade and expanding markets for US goods will mean for growing the US economy, and the president getting the credit. Why did some of these same Democrats support NAFTA but not this trade deal? We all know that the answer is the person sitting in the White House. They'd vote against a bill that guarantees their getting into heaven when they die if Bush was the one pushing it.

[cripplecreek]

You should see Jacksons former industrial district. It's a great place to find some peace and quiet if you don't mind the bums, drunks, and drug addicts that live in the former factories.

[Clemenza]

Don't try an use logic with the anti-NAFTA/CAFTA crowd. I'm still waiting for their predictions of 20% unemployment to come true from back in 1993.

[Lekker 1]

It's about keeping the free trade model on a level playing field. It's not happening. We're signing onto these "free trade" agreements with both hands tied behind our backs.

A agree with you there, but we need to work on leveling the playing field, not taking our ball and going home. Do you really think the U.S. behemoth is gonna let the little gnats get the best of it? The U.S. will win...it always has.

[CSM]

I had many humorous discussions with the WMU union labor folks over NAFTA. All they could parrot is that their jobs would be moved to Mexico. I found it pretty funny that somehow Western Mich U was going to outsource custodial services to Mexico.

[rattrap]

Wow, Cynthia McKinney did something I agree with. I feel like punching myself in the stomach.

[TXBSAFH]

He voted yes, and I will can not see me supporting him in the future.

[TChris]

My message to Rep. Cubin (R) from Wyoming:

Representative Cubin,

I am very disappointed to learn that you voted against CAFTA. It is a distinguishing feature of a liberal mindset to instinctively restrain trade.

I recommend you purchase and read Basic Economics by Thomas Sowell. In it, you will learn that government intervention in a free trade economy ALWAYS makes things worse, usually for the parties the government was purportedly trying to help.

I am disappointed that a Republican representative is so frequently on the Democrat side of important issues. There is a term for such politicians: RINO. Regards,

[lilylangtree]

Mine sold out.

[Gipper08]

CAFTA is a bad thing....but it is also a necessary thing.If we do not trade with them cheap China will.There is also a new plague of Marxism sweeping Central and South America..The Sandinista are close to regaining power.CAFTA weakens them.

[Antonello]

I'm kinda torn. I agree with free trade on the surface, but I don't like seeing the jobs leave, in other words, I like having a roof over my head.

What is the primary limiting factor regarding the number of jobs an employer can support?

[JustAnAmerican]

Lets just forget about the trade part of CAFTA for the moment.Since it's obvious that many have not read CAFTA(I have at least skimmed the whole document and will do a more thorough job as time permits),did you know that CAFTA cedes arbitration authority to the World Bank and it's lackys? Or that there is a good possibilty that it will also make Vitamins in the US only available under a doctors prescription (CODEX).

Or that if any company from any nation who has signed onto this abomnimation, feels their profits were lower because of environmental concerns, they can Sue the US govenment to regain those lost profits? These are the things the Politicians who supported CAFTA do not want you to hear. So the Yea voters are either Traitors(If they read the full text), or idiots(If they did not read the full text and instead signed anyway), in either case they do not deserve to hold the office they now hold.

[RockinRight]

Good analysis and I tend to agree. Regarding Pence, I think he voted in a "least worst" method on this bill.

The idea of CAFTA is both good and a bit scary, I never liked NAFTA much, but, it wasn't the death sentence Buchanan and others made it out to be so perhaps CAFTA isn't too bad. I definitely don't want China moving in on this area.

Do we have a Senate vote tally yet? Did they even vote on it yet?

[johnb838]

I agree, for all my kvetching, we're doing pretty darn well. I wouldn't even be all that worried about the mexicans if it weren't for the scofflaw, criminality, and National Security problems.

[TheSpottedOwl]

Free trade pacts like CAFTA are good because it opens markets for the US economy that were formally closed, it allows cheaper goods to flow into the US (building our ability to purchase goods at cheaper prices), and enhances our economy by creating jobs.

Don't we have enough "cheaper goods" flowing into the US? What can places like the Dominican Republic offer us, that we would need? If they had a solid infrastructure built on all the aid we've given these countries, there wouldn't be a need for coercive treaties between us.

We don't need another useless treaty to buy goods from these countries. If they'd get their acts together, they'd be doing pretty well for themselves, and would be able to negotiate to their advantage, and ours.

In implementing this treaty, what good does it do for the citizens of this country, besides all those cool cheap imports?

[Egon]

A agree with you there, but we need to work on leveling the playing field, not taking our ball and going home. Do you really think the U.S. behemoth is gonna let the little gnats get the best of it? The U.S. will win...it always has.

I don't think we should take the ball and go home-- but it would be preferable to giving the game away completely.

Even with NAFTA and CAFTA in place, we can continue to work on removing some of our own barriers to our own success. My fear, though, is that some of the wording of these agreements ties our hands and removes our own ability to regulate ourselves. Instead, it hands over control to the WTO, which has not proven itself to be overly friendly to American business interests.

If we hand over enough control to foreign organizations, it makes it less likely that the "U.S. will always win."

[afnamvet]

Who do you think is better acquainted with all the facts of the issue and has more of an impact on a Congressman's vote, a constituent or President Bush?

I would expect that my congressman represent his constituents and not lobbyists or political arm twisting.

Doolittle may have some constituents disagree, but you should try to look on this as him "taking one for the team" so representatives in more threatened districts didn't have to vote "yes" in his place.

I disagree with the President on his stand regarding trade, immigration and borders. I do not support CAFTA-DR.

[hedgetrimmer]

Bush wants China in the western hemisphere.

Q: President Bush, good afternoon. China has a very close rapprochement with Latin America, a lot of investment in this region. And in your second presidency, are you going to do anything so you don't lose your influence in this region? And second, many business people are worried if you're going to be doing anything about the fiscal deficit in your country during your second term.

PRESIDENT BUSH: First, China is a growing country. Today we heard from Hu Jintao about the phenomenal growth rates that he expects for his economy, and that's positive. I think it's helpful for there to be universal prosperity. China represents great opportunities for Chile and the United States. And we look forward to working with China. We've got a lot of trade with China and we want to continue to have good trading relations with China.

We got a lot of trade in the hemisphere. We got a free trade agreement with Chile. NAFTA is a strong driver for prosperity in our own neighborhood, and we'll continue to advance free trade throughout this hemisphere. I, frankly, don't view trade -- China's actions and the actions of the United States as zero sum. I view it as a positive development.

Bush Lauds Chile's Contributions as Hemispheric Partner
November 21, 2004
http://usinfo.state.gov/wh/Archive/2004/Nov/22-552349.html

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1286453/posts?page=8#8

[Gipper08]

I do not think the Senate vote on the CR yet,but it will pass.Pence will have the New Right mad at him for voting for this but they will get over it(Schafly,Vigurie,Weyrich)
If he had voted against it the Club For Growth would have NEVER forgiven him and they wouldn't have endorsed him any time soon.All of the Reagan conservatives voted for this bill(Akin,Barrett,Shadegg,King etc)

[RockinRight]

The one thing that many on FR assume is that being pro-free trade is synonymous with being pro-porous borders and they are not mutually exclusive. I have my reservations with CAFTA, but I think it can work.