The Columbia Free Trade Agreement is Unfair

Floor Speech

(Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute.)

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to the Colombia Free Trade Agreement for four main reasons. One, the agreement will flood Colombia's market with subsidized U.S. produce. This will force Colombian farmers to turn to a more profitable crop, coca, thereby fueling the drug trade and threatening U.S. national security.

Second, this agreement will aggravate Colombia's horrendous human rights record. It will take away incentives to reduce child labor or protect union members, and the movement to improve workers' rights will languish in the face of international corporations' profits.

Third, the pact will worsen the plight of the Afro-Colombians. They will continue to be forced off their territories, which are prime for oil palm and natural gas exploitation.

And fourth, this free trade agreement is harmful to American workers. Its passage will make it more profitable for U.S. companies to move their operations to Colombia where labor is cheaper and environmental standards are lower.

Everyone agrees that free trade is good but only when it's fair. The Colombia Free Trade Agreement is transparently unfair, and I urge my colleagues to oppose it.

Source