Tell Congress to Hold the Line on the Colombia FTA!

On April 10th, we scored a major victory against the Bush Administration and its eight years of flawed trade policy. On that day, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the U.S. House of Representatives voted to eliminate Fast Track rules for the U.S.-Colombia free trade agreement (FTA), a job-killing trade agreement that President Bush and major corporations, such as Wal-Mart, Citigroup, and FedEx, are pressuring Congress to pass before the end of the year. What this means is that Congress is not forced to vote on the agreement within 90 days.

This buys us some time, but we must make sure we use that time wisely to reach out to members of Congress and tell them the truth about the Colombia FTA. It is not a "fair" trade agreement that will increase jobs for American workers. In fact, this deal is just a series of giveaways to multinational corporations, which will now have even more incentive to outsource American jobs to Colombia where the labor is cheaper and exploited. At a time when our economy is taking a serious hit and fuel and food prices are skyrocketing, Americans cannot afford to lose any more good-paying jobs.

Some argue that the U.S. stands to benefit from the Colombia FTA because tariffs on our exports to the country will be lowered. But when Colombia's middle class remains such a small portion of the population, how many of our manufactured goods are really going to be bought? The answer is not many. And yes, U.S. agribusiness would benefit, but with some pretty adverse consequences. Colombian farmers will not be able to compete against our subsidized exports, possibly forcing many back into coca production.

Perhaps the toughest pill to swallow though is that the Colombia FTA would be rewarding a government that has done very little to bring justice to the over 2,500 trade unionists killed in the country since 1986. More than 50 members of Colombia's Congress are currently in jail or being investigated due to ties with paramilitary death squads responsible for these killings, including President Alvaro Uribe's own family member and political ally. One must wonder why this deal was even negotiated in the first place, and why human rights violations of this horrific caliber are being accepted as the collateral damage of a business deal.

So let's use our time wisely starting today - call or e-mail your Representative in Congress and your U.S. Senators, too. Ask them to publicly oppose the Colombia FTA and to vote it down if it ever makes it to the floor this year. And also let them know that no backroom deal - whether it be for reformed Trade Adjustment Assistance or a new economic stimulus plan - is a good enough reason to vote for this unbalanced trade agreement.

American workers and Colombian workers deserve better - please take action today!

You can reach your Representative and U.S. Senators by calling the Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121. A sample letter is also provided below.

Subject:

Dear [ Decision Maker ],

(Edit Letter Below)

I urge you to publicly denounce the U.S.-Colombia free trade agreement (FTA) today. This job-killing trade deal is yet another example of the flawed trade policy of the Bush Administration. Fortunately, the Fast Track rules for this agreement were eliminated thanks to Speaker Pelosi and the U.S. House of Representatives. However, there has been talk of some horse-trading over this bill, whether it be for reformed Trade Adjustment Assistance or a new economic stimulus plan. Deals such as these in exchange for a vote in favor of the Colombia FTA are simply unacceptable.

I know that a lot has been said recently to "sugarcoat" this trade agreement and make it seem like the U.S. will profit greatly.  However, the Colombia FTA is not a "fair" trade agreement, and it will not increase jobs for American workers. In fact, this deal just provides more incentives for American jobs to be outsourced to Colombia where the labor is cheaper and exploited. At a time when our economy is taking a serious hit and fuel and food prices are skyrocketing, Americans cannot afford to lose more good-paying jobs.

Proponents of the Colombia FTA also argue that tariffs on our exports will be considerably lowered. When you look at the facts though, it is obvious that our manufactured goods are not going to be bought up in any sort of appreciable amount.  How could they when the only people able to afford these products, the Colombian middle class, make up a small fraction of the population?

It is true that U.S. agribusiness would benefit, but with some pretty adverse consequences. Colombian farmers will not be able to compete against our subsidized exports, possibly forcing them back into coca production and increasing Colombia's drug trafficking problem.

Actually, the reality of the Colombia FTA, like previous FTAs, is that very little of this trade deal is about tariffs and market access. The Colombia FTA contains hundreds of pages of rules and giveaways to benefit the CEOs of the multinational corporations that are promoting passage of the FTA.

The one thing that cannot be "sugarcoated" no matter how you look at it is that the Colombia FTA would be rewarding a government that has done very little to bring justice to the over 2,500 trade unionists killed in the country since 1986.  More than 50 members of Colombia's Congress are currently in jail or being investigated due to ties with paramilitary death squads responsible for these killings, including President Alvaro Uribe's own family member and political ally. One must wonder why this deal was even negotiated in the first place, and why human rights violations of this horrific caliber are being accepted as the collateral damage of a business deal.

Instead of trade agreements that destroy jobs, promote drug trafficking, and reward violence against workers, the American people deserve trade agreements that create jobs and hold other countries accountable for their actions. Please make your opposition to the Colombia FTA known today, and if it ever comes to the floor for a vote, please vote 'NO'!

Sincerely,
[Your name]
[Your address]

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