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DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISTS OF
AMERICA
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April 16, 2008 |
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| News From DSA A Report from DSA's National Office |
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Legislative Alert
? Columbia
The House ACTS to Kill Fast
Track
Furious with the Bush administration for
its unprecedented cheek in trying to force a quick vote on the dangerous
U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement against the strong objections of Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other congressional leaders - the House of Representatives voted to block "fast tracking" or quick consideration of the controversial Colombia free-trade agreement. The April 7th vote, 224 -195 found all but 10 Democrats voting to block the deal and only 6 Republicans willing to stand up for workers.
It is at least a temporary victory for
working people in Colombia and in the U.S. However, it was a procedural
vote that provided cover for the "free trade Democrats" to vote to block the bill. We must remain viglilant in case this or other alleged free trade acts are brought up for a vote.
This Free Trade Agreement follows the
failed model of NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement). Now stalled, it
needs to die on the vine. These free market deals protect corporate interests
and undermine living standards in all the countries they touch. For Americans,
enacting the Colombia pact would mean more losses in jobs and exports, decreased
living standards for middle-class families, and a weaker domestic manufacturing
base. For Colombians, it would result in more substandard wages, the destruction
of their country's biodiversity, ruined livelihoods for family farmers, and
increased pressure to emigrate.
Columbia also has one of the worst human
rights records in the hemisphere and is a notorious abuser of trade union
rights. It remains the most dangerous place in the world for trade unionists,
with 2,238 assassinations of labor activists since 1991. More than a dozen
assassinations were committed already this year, according to the National Labor
School.
President Bush now argues that the
agreement is important, not because of its trade provisions, but because its
passage would shore up the Colombian government in disputes with its neighbors.
That?s an intervention that will do more to destabilize the region than
stabilize it.
When Congress does the right thing, it
should be acknowledged. Calls should be placed to your local representative
thanking him or her for opposing the U.S. Colombia Free Trade Agreement.
You can place a toll-free call to your
Congress member by calling:
1-866-338-5720
Here is a sample message:
I am writing to congratulate you and the
other Representatives for voting down fast-track authorization of the
U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement (FTA) that the Bush Administration sent to
Congress. This trade agreement comes at a huge cost for Americans and Colombians
alike, including major job loss, the decimation of family farms, increased
immigration and destruction of the environment. This agreement uses the same
flawed logic and faulty language found in the North American Free Trade
Agreement (NAFTA) and the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA). We
cannot keep following the same failed trade policies.
Colombia must correct its human rights
record, especially regarding trade unionists before any agreements with their
government are approved. The president?s argument that this will help stabilize
the region is preposterous. Turning a trade agreement into a method for shoring
up the repressive Colombian government is more likely to increase tensions in
the region than reduce them. We cannot afford more of these unfair, unbalanced
trade agreements, and we should not be negotiating with a country that ignores
international labor standards and dismisses assassinations of trade union
activists.
Please accept my thanks to the entire
House for voting against fast track, and continue to make your opposition to the
Colombia FTA heard. As a constituent, I urge you to publicly announce your
continued opposition to the Colombia FTA. Please confirm to me in writing that
you will vote against this and other flawed trade agreements should they come up
for a vote.
A good web-site to monitor all
developments relating to fair vs. free trade is that of the Citizens Trade
Campaign at http://www.citizenstrade.org/
In solidarity,
Frank Llewellyn
National
Director
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| Paid for by Democratic Socialists of America PAC, 75 Maiden Lane, Suite 505, NY, NY 10038; not approved by any candidate or candidate's committee. |
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