Category Archives: News

From “White House Barters for Trade Pact Votes” in The Wall Street Journal:

…free-trade business groups are pushing for Cafta, and administration officials are combing a “whip list” of more than 50 lawmakers who say their minds aren’t made up. “It’s full speed ahead,” says Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez, who has met with some undecided members three or four times. He also has reached outside the Beltway, calling chief executives at pro-Cafta companies and giving interviews to newspapers and radio stations in key states, with the goal of rallying grass-roots support. Daily strategy is plotted on 7:45 a.m. conference calls that bring together officials from the White House, the office of the U.S. Trade Representative and the departments of Commerce, Treasury, State and Agriculture.

Rep. Bill Thomas, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, has made the most visible contribution in the vote-getting effort. The California Republican pledged to move legislation that would expose China to a new range of trade sanctions, and in return secured the support of Republican Rep. Phil English, a trade critic from Pennsylvania, and perhaps six to eight lawmakers for whom cracking down on China is the deciding issue. Among them is Rep. Todd Platts, a Pennsylvania Republican who says he is now “probably leaning yes.”

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From “Post Unveiled To Combat Intellectual Property Violations” published in Congress Daily on July 22, 2005:

The Bush administration today announced the creation of a new post designed to help combat intellectual property rights violations. The CAFTA vote has featured aggressive efforts by supporters to counter various concerns about free trade on Capitol Hill, and legislation addressing Chinese trading practices is moving in tandem with the CAFTA implementation bill. China’s spotty record on intellectual property rights is a major concern of businesses and many legislators, including some who may vote for CAFTA and who have in their districts high-tech firms that are particularly worried about IPR violations … The newly created position of Coordinator of International Intellectual Property Enforcement will be filled by Chris Israel, currently deputy chief of staff for Commerce Secretary Gutierrez. Israel, who will still report to Gutierrez, will coordinate IPR efforts across several agencies, including Commerce, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, the State and the Justice departments.

From an article by Sarah Anderson on Common Dreams:

Unable to sell CAFTA on its merits, desperate Republican supporters have had to resort to the fear factor. Their reasoning appears to be that if you can get Americans jittery enough, they will support pretty much any darn thing.

But since Osama bin Laden is hiding somewhere in the hills of Tora Bora instead of the highlands of Guatemala, Republican free traders have had to strain to conjure up an effective monster. The best they could do was Daniel Ortega. Remember him? He’s the former Nicaraguan guerrilla fighter-turned-politician who was voted out of office 15 years ago.

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