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Politics : Formerly About Advanced Micro Devices -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Taro who wrote (244270)	7/30/2005 7:12:56 PM
From: tejek	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 1575612

While those GOPs represent the status quo backwards old tarts, right? CAFTA Vote Switch an Issue for Democrats (AP) Fri Jul 29th 2005 at 5:12 am ET By TIM WHITMIRE, Associated Press Writer CHARLOTTE, N.C. - For weeks, Rep. Robin Hayes, R-N.C., was colorfully adamant in his opposition to the Central American Free Trade Agreement. "What does CAFTA sound like? NAFTA," Hayes declared. "It's not in the best interests of a core constituency I represent. Every time I drive through Kannapolis and I see those empty plants, I know there is no way I could vote for CAFTA." But an hour into what is normally a 15-minute roll call — and still short the votes needed to avoid handing President Bush an embarrassing defeat — Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., told Hayes he could promise increased GOP attention to the challenges China poses to the domestic textile industry. Hayes switched his vote, and the agreement passed 217-215. Democrats vow to make Hayes' change of heart an issue when he seeks a fifth House term in 2006 from a textile-heavy district in a state where many voters blame the North American Free Trade Agreement for the loss of tens of thousands of well-paid manufacturing jobs in furniture and textiles over the past decade. "Rarely have we seen a member of Congress so adamantly speak on one side of a position in public only to support the other side on the floor," Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spokesman Bill Burton said in a statement. "Call it a flip-flop or a pander or whatever you want — to most North Carolinians I know, that's what's called simply not telling the truth to your voters." A descendant of the family that built Cannon Mills, a predecessor to now-defunct Pillowtex, Hayes has close ties to the textile industry. He's made tough trade votes before. In 2001 he drew sharp criticism after switching sides to cast the deciding vote to give Bush "fast-track" authority denying Congress the ability to amend trade agreements negotiated by the administration. The CAFTA vote came days before the two-year anniversary of the demise of Kannapolis-based Pillowtex. The 4,800 jobs lost there constituted the largest mass layoff in state history. In a telephone interview Thursday, Hayes said he had voted no when the clock ran out on CAFTA late Wednesday night, with the measure apparently headed to a 214-210 defeat. That's when House Speaker Dennis Hastert asked if Hayes was willing to switch. "They came to me and said, 'Negotiations are open. Put on the table the things that your district and people need, and we'll get them,'" Hayes said. Hayes said he didn't have a laundry list of demands. But he said he told Hastert he wants the White House to step up enforcement of existing trade regulations with China and to impose sanctions if China continues flooding the U.S. market with textile imports. That was promised, he said. "If they don't (live up to their promises), I've got their numbers," he added. Hayes said he spent Thursday morning calling CAFTA opponents from his district, telling them, "Give us the things that are your concerns, so we can go forward with these negotiations." When the next election comes, Hayes won't be without supporters in the textile business. Several big employers in his district urged Hayes to support the agreement, including Tuscarora Yarns Chairman Martin Foil Jr. and President Peter Hegarty, who called him several times lobbying for CAFTA. Foil said CAFTA rules requiring duty-free textile items constructed in Central American to be woven or knit from U.S.-manufactured yarn will help keep manufacturers like Tuscarora in business. The deal also gives Central American nations close to the United States a chance to compete with China in constructing apparel and other textiles for the U.S. market. "Proximity is key," Foil said. "It takes months sometimes to get goods out of the Chinese." Hayes wasn't the only North Carolina Republican to switch from an anti-CAFTA position. Sixth-term Rep. Sue Myrick, who represents a safe Republican district in Charlotte, also switched her vote during the roll call. Rep. Charles Taylor, who represents western North Carolina, also had pledged a no vote but missed the roll call. Taylor said he voted no but that it wasn't recorded because his electronic voting card failed. political-news.org

To: Taro who wrote (244270)	7/30/2005 7:15:20 PM
From: tejek	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 1575612

CAFTA trade agreement wins House approval Thu Jul 28th 2005 at 1:16 am ET By James Kuhnhenn, Knight Ridder Newspapers WASHINGTON - The House of Representatives shortly after midnight Thursday narrowly agreed to lower trade barriers with Central American countries, handing President Bush a slim victory on a trade pact that the administration said would advance economic and national security interests. The 217-215 vote came after furious last-minute work by the administration and Republican leaders to line up the final votes. Going in, the agreement faced the most intense opposition in Congress of any trade agreement in recent history. The Senate approved the agreement late last month. The Central American Free Trade Agreement would eliminate duties immediately on 80 percent of U.S. exports to Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic, but its economic impact would be considerably less significant than that of previous deals. Advocates argued instead that removing trade barriers would stimulate democracy in those six countries and improve diplomatic bonds with the United States. "It is in the national interest that CAFTA passes," said House Republican leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas. "It is good for our national security and supporting these fledgling democracies at our back door. It is good in our effort against illegal immigration. It is good for our economy." Opposition to the bill was widespread and not limited to lawmakers whose congressional districts would face more competition from abroad. The lack of enthusiasm stemmed largely from a growing wariness about the increasing globalization of the U.S. economy. Hoping to ease such worries, House leaders pushed through legislation earlier Wednesday that would tighten enforcement of trade rules with China. It was aimed at reassuring lawmakers such as Rep. Phil English, R-Pa., who's considered an influential voice among wavering Republicans. Lawmakers from sugarcane- and beet-producing states formed the core of the resistance, arguing that open borders would open U.S. markets to Central American sugar and hurt domestic growers. Other critics said the agreement didn't contain strong labor and environmental provisions and would encourage manufacturers to leave the United States while exploiting Central American workers. "Under the president's administration, we have lost millions of manufacturing jobs," said House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. "He is still in the net-loss column for manufacturing jobs. So as our manufacturing base erodes, as our industrial base erodes, we have a president who is contributing to the further erosion of that base." Bush made a rare visit to the Capitol on Wednesday morning to rally House Republicans. He kept his schedule open throughout the day to lobby undecided lawmakers. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice also was at the Capitol, promoting the deal as a means to help Central American countries emerge from recent dictatorships into fledgling democracies. Advocates argued that CAFTA's failure would feed the political desires of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, a critic of the United States and close ally of Cuban President Fidel Castro, and invite a return to the days of socialist regimes and Central American unrest. On the other side, labor organizations were putting just as much pressure on lawmakers, particularly Democrats. In a letter to Democratic leaders, a coalition of labor officials said: "Simply put, there must be real and measurable consequences for opposing labor on this issue. The stakes are too high for the workers of America. We cannot and we will not give any Democrat a pass on CAFTA." political-news.org