http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld ... 5940.story

2:46 AM PDT, July 27, 2005

Bush Meeting House GOP Before CAFTA Vote
By JIM ABRAMS, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON -- President Bush is rallying Republicans on Capitol Hill behind a free trade agreement with Central America before the measure comes up for what is expected to be a very close vote.

Bush, who has invested considerable time and effort to winning passage of the Central American Free Trade Agreement, is speaking to a closed meeting of House Republicans on Wednesday morning, White House press secretary Scott McClellan said.

McClellan said Bush will also address other issues likely to come up this week in Congress, including major energy and highway legislation.

Closing party ranks on CAFTA could be crucial if the trade deal that the administration signed a year ago with Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic is to survive.

Democrats are overwhelmingly against the agreement. The Democratic leadership, in a notice Tuesday, reminded lawmakers that "this will be an extremely close vote, and attendance is critical."

The Senate approved the pact last month, but the House, with strong Democratic opposition and a large group of opposing or undeclared Republicans, is a harder sell.

The agreement would eliminate tariffs and other trade barriers on U.S. exports to the six nations and increase protections for investment and intellectual property. Democrats say CAFTA, like past free trade deals, will lead to a loss of U.S. jobs while doing little to prevent the exploitation of Central American workers.

Republican opposition stems from the jobs issue as well as concerns that the agreement will hurt the U.S. textile and sugar industries.

Bush in recent months has held a summit with the leaders of all six CAFTA nations, met individually with dozens of lawmakers and given speeches to Hispanic and other groups promoting the deal, which he argues will also benefit U.S. national security by shoring up Central America's fragile democracies.

His administration has also had some success in swaying undecided Republicans with side deals offering protections for sugar and textile manufacturers.

Groups on both sides of the issue held news and telephone conferences Tuesday to press their case.

"Trade creates jobs and lifts people out of poverty," House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., said at a news conference with Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez and representatives from pro-CAFTA Hispanic groups. "And there's nothing like a stable society to fight terrorism and strengthen democracy, freedom and rule of law."

Rep. Hilda Solis, D-Calif., said CAFTA was "a bad deal for Central Americans and also for Latinos in this community."

"I can tell you that the exploitation of workers will continue in Central America," Solis said.

* __