Andean Trade Preference Extension Act of 2008

Floor Speech

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CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES,

Washington, DC, February 25, 2008.

Support Extension of the Andean Trade Preferences

Dear Colleague: Having just returned from a CODEL to Ecuador and Bolivia, we are writing to urge you to vote for H.R. 5264--which would extend trade preferences for Colombia, Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia for 10 months--when it is on the House floor on Tuesday. While many of us would prefer a longer term extension of ATPDEA, we believe that a 10 month extension is a good start.

We are a bipartisan group of Members who believe that the Andean Trade Promotion and Drug Eradication Act (ATPDEA) is a win-win for both the citizens of the Andean region and the U.S. private sector. ATPDEA has literally created hundreds of thousands of jobs in the Andean region, while at the same time supporting essential U.S. geopolitical goals.

We fear that if the Andean trade preference program is eliminated, many of the unemployed would turn to drug cultivation after they lose their jobs. Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Tom Shannon has argued that ATPDEA, ``has been an important counterpoint to drug production in the region. It's produced hundreds of thousands of jobs in the region, so in that sense it's been a very, very successful program.'' We firmly agree.

We visited with producers of flowers, broccoli, coffee, cacao and other products in Ecuador. Without ATPDEA, workers in these sectors would undoubtedly lose their jobs, leaving them with little option outside of the illegal drug trade or illegal immigration to the United States.

In Bolivia--the poorest country in South America--we met with textile workers whose jobs would also be eliminated without an extension of ATPDEA. Many of these workers are indigenous women, who are among the most historically marginalized members of society in Bolivia and throughout the Andean region.

Finally, failure to extend ATPDEA would put many U.S. jobs at risk. For example, U.S. yarns, fabrics, fibers and other textile inputs are exported to the Andean region, where they are incorporated into finished garments and exported back into the United States.

While we all supported ATPDEA prior to our trip, meeting firsthand with the people
in Ecuador and Bolivia who. are directly impacted by ATPDEA renewed our commitment to this crucial trade preference program. Please join us in supporting the citizens of the Andean region by voting for H.R. 5264 when it is on the House floor on Tuesday.

Sincerely,

Eliot L. Engel,

Chairman, Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere.

Maurice Hinchey,

Member of Congress.

Jerry Weller,

Member of Congress.

Gene Green,

Member of Congress.

Virginia Foxx,

Member of Congress.

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