Thread: Immigration provisions slipped into free trade agreements?

I was listening to a fascinating radio interview with Tom Tancredo from July during which he was discussing globalism, open borders and the series of free trade agreements that have been pushed by Bush and approved by Congress.

The link is in the archives of the Laurie Roth show - note that it is the "most recent show", hour 1:

http://www.therothshow.com/archives.htm

The most recent trade agreement passed July 1 by the House was the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA). He stated that these free trade agreements are set up so that if the US does not comply with some provision, a CAFTA tribunal would be triggered which would adjudicate whether we were in non-compliance. The rulings of these tribunals would apparently supercede US law. In particular, he stated that immigration provisions have been slipped into these agreements in an effort to bypass US immigration laws.

I tried to find the complete CAFTA document that spelled out the provisions in both the House and Senate web sites but could not get a complete text. I also check the roll call vote in the Senate but did not see this posted - I believe the vote date was June 27. My next step will be to read the transcripts of floor discussions, but this may take a while. I may have simply missed these documents, but I'm wondering if anyone has seen them or knows more about this?

Kate,

Have you searched for this from the Capitol Hill Website?

Dixie

This is the Senate version. I don't know what bill number for the House version.

Question: On Passage of the Bill (S. 1307 )
Vote Number: 170 Vote Date: June 30, 2005, 09:34 PM
Required For Majority: 1/2 Vote Result: Bill Passed
Measure Number: S. 1307 (Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act )
Measure Title: A bill to implement the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement.
Vote Counts: YEAs 54
NAYs 45
Not Voting 1
Vote Summary By Senator Name By Vote Position By Home State

I did search on that site. It went thru final passage in the House, and apparently, the Speaker bullied and threatened House members in closed committee and drew the voting out to more than 2 and a half hours in order to get enough votes to pass it. It may be my ineptness, but I could not find a complete text for the final House version. I'll try again! Thanks Dixie.