Yesterday Jack was on NewsTalk1059 WVGA talking about different legislative issues that are being debated in Congress. He talked about everything from healthcare to Cap and Tax - and even Sarah Palin and President Obama competing in a foot race. You can listen to the interview in it’s entirety by clicking here clicking here.
Global Atlanta reports today that delegations from Brunswick, Hinesville, and Savannah are visiting the Jiangxi province of China to seal sister city agreements and to work on increasing trade between the province and Georgia.
Mayors Otis Johnson of Savannah, Jim Thomas of Hinesville, and Bryan Thompson of Brunswick are leading the delegation of eighteen leaders from our region.
Savannah’s delegation has started a group blog about the trip which can be found here.
In case you missed it, Jack appeared on WTOC’s Mid Morning Live this morning to discuss Commerce Secretary Gutierrez’s visit to Savannah’s port and the ongoing Savannah Harbor Expansion Project. To view the clip, click here.
Speaker Pelosi claims to be holding off on considering the Colombia Free Trade Agreement, “until we pass a legislative package for jobs and economic growth here at home, it will be extremely difficult to approve any trade legislation.” (“Pelosi: Economic Aid Must Come Before Colombia Vote” CongressDailyPM, 4/23/08). Is she admitting that the “stimulus” Congress passed earlier this year won’t do that. If Speaker Pelosi is serious about creating jobs and economic growth, then Congress should pass the Colombia FTA, make the Bush tax cuts permanent, and do something to alievate the pain we’re all feeling at the pump.
In case you missed it, the Savannah Morning News has a great editorial today about why we Speaker Pelosi should stop blocking the Colombia Free Trade Agreement. As you may recall, she had to change house rules to prevent a vote on the measure that would level the playing field for American exports into Colombia and help stabilize a crucial ally that can help stem the growing power of Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez.
From the editorial:
“SPEAKER OF the House Nancy Pelosi should stop playing politics with a measure that could level the playing field for trade between the United States and Colombia…
“A permanent free trade agreement proposed by President Bush would end that disparity and make American products cheaper to buy in Colombia…
“the Colombian Free Trade Agreement would do more than bolster this complementary trade - it could help stem the tide of anti-American sentiment in this hemisphere. Colombian President Alvaro Uribe, a friend of the U.S., has worked diligently to rein in illegal drugs and government corruption…
“A stable Colombia could then act as a bulwark against Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, as well as socialist leaders in Chile, Bolivia and Brazil. What’s more, Republicans are not the only ones calling for free trade with Colombia…”
To read the full article, click here.
For more information on the agreement, check out the U.S. Trade Representative’s website here.
Oscar Arboleda Palacio, Nancy Pelosi’s counterpart in the Colombian House of Representatives, sent her a letter today calling on her to pass the Colombia Free Trade Agreement. In the letter, Speaker Palacio says:
“The decision of the United States House of Representatives to stay approval of the Free Trade Agreement with Colombia is a blow to the Colombian economy, and affords colonial treatment to us that is unbefitting one of the United States’ staunchest allies.
“The Democratic Party’s decision to involve Colombia in an internal electoral process is unfair, as national policy should rightly be placed above partisan considerations.
“The argument that signing the FTA puts union leaders and workers at risk is even more seriously erroneous, given that under the framework of the Democratic Security Policy, Colombia has made great efforts to prevent crimes of that nature from occurring. The numbers speak for themselves: while 196 union workers were murdered in 2002, only 26 such deaths occurred in 2007. Our goal is to put an end to this scourge and achieve a prosperous, peaceful, developed nation with social justice.
“In order to reach those goals, generate legitimate employment, and strengthen our economy, Madam Speaker, we require the decisive support and cooperation of our largest trade partner. Colombia’s recent history is painful because hundreds of Colombians have sacrificed their lives in the war on terrorism and drug trafficking, both of which are stoked by consumer nations.
“At this time Colombia needs your invaluable cooperation in the process of the Free Trade Agreement with the United States.”
It seems strange that the Speaker of the House in a nation Democrats consider too backward for us to form this agreement with would be the one who puts policy before politics. Maybe it’s not Colombia that backwards, maybe it’s House leadership.
A copy of the letter can be found here.
The House Republican Conference has a great compilation of some of the articles supporting the passage of the Colombia Free Trade Agreement (see them here).A personal favorite of our office is Edward Schumacher-Matos’ piece in today’s Boston Globe.He writes: “The agreement, which President Bush sent this week to Congress for an up or down vote, essentially makes permanent the trade preferences that Colombia has had for 17 years. What is new is that the treaty opens the Colombian market to US exports. “So it’s supposed to hurt American jobs if we allow U.S. exports to play on a level playing field with the goods we import from Colombia? Somehow that just doesn’t make sense.To read the full article, click here.
The Matson’s World cartoon in today’s Roll Call says it all…
John Fund’s piece in the Wall Street Journal today show’s just what the Colombia Free Trade agreement means to our future:
“If Congress rejects it, the loss wouldn’t be just measured in dollors or pesos. It could have profound geopolitical effects that would hurt the U.S.
“Colombia is a democratic ally of the U.S. in a tough neighborhood. Alvaro Uribe, its president, has been battling a left-wing insurgency that has used kidnapping, murder and drug trafficking in an attempt to overthrow his government. An impressive body of evidence shows the insurgents, known as the FARC, have been encouraged and financed by Venezuela’s strongman, Hugo Chavez. Mr. Chavez, who already has allies in charge of Bolivia, Ecuador, and Nicaragua, would love to extend his influence in Latin America.”
He also does a good job of countering the tired Democrat attacks on the agreement.
“…the Uribe government has made great strides in reducing violence in Colombia. Since 2001, the number of kidnappings has dropped by over 80%, acts of terror are down over 75%, and the murder rate associated with trade unionists is down almost 80%.”
“The simple truth is that the opposition to the trade agreement–from the Democratic presidential contenders to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi–has nothing to do with reality. Rep. Charles Rangel, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, admitted as much recently: ‘It’s not the substance on the ground–it’s the politics in the air.’”
To read the full article, click here.
President Bush has sent the Colombia Free Trade Agreement to Congress. As we have seen over and over again, free trade agreements are highly beneficial to the health of our Nation’s economy. According to statistics provided by the Department of Commerce, more than 90% of Colombia’s exports enter the U.S. duty free while less than 10% of U.S. exports are given the same treatment in Colombia. For information on how the agreement would impact Georgia, check out these fact sheets:
Also here’s a fact sheet from the White House on how the agreement is essential to our national security.
From the AP:
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Bush on Monday signed a letter sending Congress a controversial free trade agreement with Colombia — a move that will force lawmakers to vote within 90 days.
The agreement, which would tear down trade barriers between the two nations, is heavily opposed by Democrats in Congress.
Democrats contend that Colombia has not done enough to halt violence, protect labor activists and demobilize paramilitary organizations. The president disagrees, saying Colombia has addressed the issues.
“The need for this agreement is too urgent, the stakes for our national security are too high to allow this year to end without a vote,” Bush said.
Bush signed a document to transmit the trade agreement to Congress, but Congress won’t formally receive it until lawmakers return on Tuesday. Bush’s action will force Congress to take up the proposal under a fast-track process that requires votes within 90 days. Officials said Bush is acting now in order to force a vote before Congress leaves in the fall for the campaign season.
“If Congress fails to approve this agreement, it would not only abandon a brave ally, it would send a signal throughout the region that America cannot be counted on to support its friends,” Bush said.
Bush, who has staked out free trade as one of his top legacies, is also hoping to win congressional approval before he leaves office on pending free trade agreements with Panama and South Korea.
Bush’s action was coming one day after Mark Penn quit as Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton’s chief campaign strategist after it was reported that he had met with Colombia’s ambassador to the United States to discuss the free trade agreement, which Clinton opposes.
