Thread: White House Barters for Trade Pact Votes

July 25, 2005


POLITICS AND POLICY


White House Barters for Trade Pact Votes

As Lawmakers Take Up Central American Measure, Bush Courts Undecideds With Deals
By GREG HITT
Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
July 25, 2005; Page A4

As the House moves toward a vote this week on President Bush's Central American trade pact, the White House is trying to cut deals to shore up support.

An administration team scouring the House for votes has been showing more willingness to entertain lawmakers' requests for special breaks. One deal under consideration would protect shipments of U.S.-made denim to Nicaragua, a move that could secure the votes of perhaps half a dozen lawmakers from textile-producing areas in the Deep South.

"All politics is local, and I have to make sure the people at home feel their jobs are as secure as they can be," says Rep. Phil Gingrey, a Georgia Republican whose vote is tied to the Nicaraguan deal. Mr. Gingrey fears major Georgia employers, such as Mount Vernon Mills Inc. and Avondale Mills Inc., will lose business unless the protections are added to the Central American Free Trade Agreement, or Cafta. "The administration is trying to get it right," the congressman says, underscoring his leverage in the fight. "They're listening to us. They know our concerns. And, of course, they need our votes."

The bargaining spotlights the intensity of the fight for passage of Cafta. The deal would bind the U.S. economy to five countries in Central America, as well as the Dominican Republic, creating the second-largest U.S. trading bloc in Latin America, after Mexico.

The measure cleared the Senate on a 54-45 vote in June, after the administration cut a handful of side deals -- such as a pledge to New Mexico Democrat Jeff Bingaman to boost spending on labor-rights enforcement -- to help ease passage. But support lags significantly in the House, with informal counts suggesting it falls about 25 votes short of what is needed to ensure passage.


"Members of Congress simply will not associate their names and political futures with expansion of the Nafta trade model that most of the public views as a damaging failure," says Lori Wallach, director of Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch, one of several advocacy groups fighting Cafta. (Nafta is the North American Free Trade Agreement.) Members of the National Farmers Union blanketed Capitol Hill last week, arguing that small family farms will be hurt by Cafta. AIDS activists are speaking out against provisions that tighten control of generic medicines in Cafta countries. The Citizens Trade Campaign, a coalition of labor, environmental, farm and faith-based groups, is running radio ads in the districts of wavering lawmakers that raise doubts about the benefits of free trade.

On the other side, free-trade business groups are pushing for Cafta, and administration officials are combing a "whip list" of more than 50 lawmakers who say their minds aren't made up. "It's full speed ahead," says Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez, who has met with some undecided members three or four times. He also has reached outside the Beltway, calling chief executives at pro-Cafta companies and giving interviews to newspapers and radio stations in key states, with the goal of rallying grass-roots support. Daily strategy is plotted on 7:45 a.m. conference calls that bring together officials from the White House, the office of the U.S. Trade Representative and the departments of Commerce, Treasury, State and Agriculture.

Rep. Bill Thomas, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, has made the most visible contribution in the vote-getting effort. The California Republican pledged to move legislation that would expose China to a new range of trade sanctions, and in return secured the support of Republican Rep. Phil English, a trade critic from Pennsylvania, and perhaps six to eight lawmakers for whom cracking down on China is the deciding issue. Among them is Rep. Todd Platts, a Pennsylvania Republican who says he is now "probably leaning yes."

Mr. Thomas also made a personal commitment to move any legislation that might be required to address concerns over fabric shipments to Nicaragua. Under Cafta, apparel made in Central America enters the U.S. duty-free if it is made with American yarn and fabric. One loophole in Cafta, however, allows Nicaragua to use some fabric from outside the region. Critics say the provision will allow low-cost Chinese fabric to be cut and sewn into garments destined for the U.S. "It didn't make any sense to give that away," says Roger Chastain, president of Mount Vernon Mills. Both Avondale, of Monroe, Ga., and Mount Vernon, of Mauldin, S.C., employ thousands of workers across the South. In Rep. Gingrey's district in northwest Georgia, Mount Vernon operates a plant with 1,800 workers.

A spokesman for Avondale didn't return calls to comment. Mr. Chastain says he doubts any of the textile deals on the table would ever be enforced. But U.S. Trade Representative Rob Portman says the administration is working in good faith "to give members some comfort."

Mr. Portman, a former House member, says momentum is building toward passage. But closing the final gap has been difficult. "It's tough," he says. "It's a trade vote, after all."

Write to Greg Hitt at greg.hitt@wsj.com1

URL for this article:
http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB1122 ... 27,00.html


Hyperlinks in this Article:
(1) mailto:greg.hitt@wsj.com



Copyright 2005 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved

"The administration is trying to get it right," the congressman says, underscoring his leverage in the fight. "They're listening to us. They know our concerns. And, of course, they need our votes."

They will say anything to get your vote. Dont fall for the LIES.

VOTE NO ON CAFTA!! The President and Rob Portman know the American People are against it and the reasons for it. It will cost us jobs; it will cost us investment; it will increase migration into the United States.

That's 3 strikes...it's out!!

Anyone who votes for it is adhering to special interests at the expense of the American People...PERIOD!!

CAFTA IS A CON GAME by this President to serve the interests of Globalists and it will not benefit either the American People or any of the CAFTA nations either. It will put transnational corporations in competition with local farmers, will run them out of business, and with no land, no livelihood they will pour into the United States the same way the Mexicans did after NAFTA and the collapse of their farms NAFTA interests caused.

If the American People don't want CAFTA, then it should be defeated. This is our country and WE decide what happens here. Representatives are supposed to do what their constituents want them to do, not this El Presidente!!

BTW...he only has 3.5 years to go and WE will be here forever. You might want to keep that in mind as members of the House of Representatives of the American People, not member of the House of the White House.

Mr. Chastain says he doubts any of the textile deals on the table would ever be enforced.

Really? Ya think?

But U.S. Trade Representative Rob Portman says the administration is working in good faith "to give members some comfort."

And what would that be?

Hookers and drugs are my guess.

Count!! "hookers and drugs"

Watch Lou Dobbs...the White House is forming a GOP coalition to deal with immigration....it takes a donation of $50,000 to $100,000 to get on the coalition.

LMAO....

You know what that's for, don't ya? His runaway money....Bushey Boy needs is "getaway fund" for after he flushes US down the Third World Toilet Bowl!!



What a Tragic Joke he is.....I VOTED FOR THIS MAN TWICE!!??!! I'm not a Genius, but could I be that stupid? Apparently so...Grrrrrrr!! GET HIM OUT OF THE WHITE HOUSE THEN OUT OF THE COUNTRY!!

The true Corporate-Council of Foreign Relations force that puppets President Bush and the Administration need to find something positive to do with their time and money rather than being destructive greed mongers. Go find something that's charitable. The road to World Order tryanny should not be given to you. Sovereign States is the freedom to direct affairs according to identity and heritage and provides for competition which is true to capitalism.

CAFTA and American freedom are like night and day----they will not mesh and CAFTA being the 'dark of night' has no place other than a trash barrel.

Americans REJECT the destructive Communistic filth coming from Globalists, President Bush and U.S. Representatives of Trade and Agriculture ---from CAFTA, to North American Border Security, to bad China deals, to outsourcing military manufacturing, to immigration, to funding the UN and to giving U.S. money everywhere.

President Bush is out being the "COMPASSIONATE Conservative" by 'twisting-arms' and 'ramrodding' trying to be the Dictator he wants to be.

President Bush's foreign policy (Iraq War and anything else) can no longer be supported by the American People BECAUSE OF PRESIDENT BUSH'S DOMESTIC POLICY (TO TRAMPLE AMERICANS). TOO BAD MR. BUSH - no ONE wants to listen to your 'rip off' speeches anymore. IMPEACH PRESIDENT BUSH - as the worst President in U.S. History.


Let CONGRESS know that they will be held accountable -- that stepping into the 'Globalist Agenda' means LOSS OF OFFICE. Immigration and Trade will be used as tools come re-election.

Tell Reps. to not listen to the false promises or false deal cutting and to NOT SIMPLY TOW THE PARTY LINE (like Sen. Burr did). Urge them to stand with their Constituents and the American People ----they will be better off for it, come election time.


As the excuses to enter CAFTA (Central American Free Trade Agreement) become more varied, CAFTA itself stays the same bad deal for NC and America. In order to fix NAFTA's damage we now must pass CAFTA, is poor logic. CAFTA is likened to a foreign aid and job giveaway package rather than the mutual strengthening of two-way positive growth. The notion to prop up poor economies and calling it prosperity to achieve "democracy" is boondoggle speculation and excuse for cheap labor profits. Doing more of the same trade deficit, cheap labor job loss greed profiteering does not bode well.
The unwise damage from NAFTA is apparent. NAFTA has been an increased Trade deficit with Mexico from $8 billion to $85 billion and bankrupted 38,000 U.S. Farmers creating monopoly farms. The loss of farms and hence jobs in Mexico has created more illegal immigration which is illegal and causes gangs. Americans reject CAFTA because it is unwise and long-term detriment.
Several areas of CAFTA have nothing to do with trade and Americans reject its stated language. CAFTA is anything but "free" trade, due to many laws that puts U.S. commerce authority under restriction. The falsehoods to enter an agreement of bad laws in order to achieve foreign aid will bring worse implications and violations. CAFTA or the FTAA has less to do with productive economics that builds up communities.
CAFTA is being 'lemon' sold as a 'hodge podge' largesse policy of vague circumstance (i.e. prosperity for all, spreading democracy, region security, China scares) that can be altered later from what was promised. Rather, CAFTA is a legal binding document with definite wording that has serious consequences. Knowingly America must and does do global trade without such one-sided designed sham "free" trade agreements. True free market capitalism Trade occurs without Government control as stated in CAFTA. Such sham "free" trade agreements aren't needed when businesses can already go to Central America to develop if they are so charitably concerned about the well-being of Central Americans, which they aren't. We do not have to enter CAFTA as other Carribean proper trade is possible. CAFTA is the wrong answer that is a bad agreement for ALL Parties. NAFTA is a failure and lies just as the loaded CAFTA bill is. The majority of Americans rightly reject CAFTA. CAFTA AND THE FTAA have NO FUTURE and belong in the garbage barrel FOREVER for what they try to do to the U.S. and Americans!

RonLaws--RIGHT ON!!

RonLaws,
Well Said!