Vote "No" On The Andean Trade Agreement

Floor Speech

VOTE ``NO'' ON THE ANDEAN TRADE AGREEMENT -- (House of Representatives - June 27, 2007)

(Ms. KAPTUR asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute.)

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, today I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on the Andean Trade Agreement, H.R. 1830, which, strangely, will be brought up under suspension, which means no debate and no amendment. I thought voters put new Democratic leadership in charge of this House to stop deals such as this being done in this way.

H.R. 1830 would extend special duty treatment to certain imports from Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru until September 30 of 2009. The Andean Accord was originally intended to promote economic growth and replace production of illegal drugs in the Andean region. But in 2006, the United States had already racked up $10 billion more in deficit with these countries, and the last time I looked, that cocaine was still coming over our borders from Colombia.

Mr. Speaker, this deal made on the NAFTA model is a failed model. Not a single other trade deal under the NAFTA model has created good or better jobs. Because it is based on the NAFTA model, the specific provisions are just tinkering at the edges.

This bill will cost more American jobs, period. How many copies of the NAFTA deal must enter this Congress before we finally say no?

We don't need more Bill Thomas and Tom DeLay-type trade agreements being rushed through this House. I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on 1830.

Let's have a full debate on trade. The American people demand it of us.

Source