Beware: Bait-n-Switch on CAFTA

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Wednesday July 27, 2005 · 11:45 AM PDT

2005/07/27 · 11:45

[Cross-posted on Frank's Blog]

I wanted to give you an update on our fight to stop CAFTA. CAFTA is scheduled to be debated on the House floor today. I cannot stress enough how disastrous this trade agreement will be for hard working Americans across our country. CAFTA threatens small farmers, and further erodes our manufacturing base here at home. CAFTA will also erode worker and environmental rights of those workers abroad. CAFTA is a no-win deal for us here at home or for those in Central America.

And the Bush Administration knows it. That's why they're trying the old bait-n-switch with our representatives in Congress. President Bush has been stumping around the countryside making claims that CAFTA will help solve our trade problems with China. What does China have to do with CAFTA? Not a whole lot, but that's not stopping the president from instilling fear into hard-hit American workers.

This administration is going as far as presenting CAFTA as a counter-terrorism measure. Political groups allied with the president have been harassing constituents of those representatives opposed to the agreement. And now, the Republicans on the Rules committee has stifled debate on the issue. Instead of the allowed 20 hours of debate, CAFTA has only been allotted 2 hours. Democrats offered a compromise of 8 hours, and were summarily turned down. It's expected that Republicans will be having the bill up for a vote late tonight when most Americans are asleep. We cannot let these dirty tricks win out. We must continue to let members of Congress know about our opposition to CAFTA.

Please help me keep the pressure on Congress and make sure that such fear-tactics will not work. Together we can make sure that the trade agreements the United States signs will protect people and jobs here and abroad.

www.pallonefornewjersey.com/petition/CAFTA

Thank You,
Congressman Frank Pallone

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