April 19, 2005
(Washington, DC) – Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-Oakland) joined a bi-partisan group of lawmakers as well as labor, environmental and fair trade organizations at a press conference to express opposition to the proposed Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) on Capitol Hill today. Her statement follows:
“The Central American Free Trade Agreement is bad policy, and I am proud to stand with Democrats and Republicans alike in opposition to this flawed proposal.
“CAFTA represents the effort to give corporations more power than countries and put profits before people. Not only is CAFTA a job killer for American workers, it is bad deal for working people across this hemisphere. It is bad for the environment, it is bad for the rule of law and it is bad for the principle of sovereignty.
“When I was in the California Assembly, I served on the California State World Trade Commission and the District Export Council, and those experiences informed my perspective on what our trade policy should look like.
“We need a trade policy that supports domestic manufacturers, while promoting labor standards overseas.
“We need a trade policy that includes environmental protections and closes the loopholes corporations use to evade or supersede local regulation.
“Furthermore, we simply cannot ignore the devastating effect that the intellectual property rights section of CAFTA will have on access to medicines for Central Americans.
“Trade must be free and it must be fair, and CAFTA does not pass the test. Not only do I intend to vote against this death sentence for American jobs, I will work very hard to convince my colleagues to vote against it as well.”
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Barbara Lee Blasts CAFTA
Joins Bipartisan Group Calling for Fair Trade
(Washington, DC) – Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-Oakland) joined a bi-partisan group of lawmakers as well as labor, environmental and fair trade organizations at a press conference to express opposition to the proposed Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) on Capitol Hill today. Her statement follows:
“The Central American Free Trade Agreement is bad policy, and I am proud to stand with Democrats and Republicans alike in opposition to this flawed proposal.
“CAFTA represents the effort to give corporations more power than countries and put profits before people. Not only is CAFTA a job killer for American workers, it is bad deal for working people across this hemisphere. It is bad for the environment, it is bad for the rule of law and it is bad for the principle of sovereignty.
“When I was in the California Assembly, I served on the California State World Trade Commission and the District Export Council, and those experiences informed my perspective on what our trade policy should look like.
“We need a trade policy that supports domestic manufacturers, while promoting labor standards overseas.
“We need a trade policy that includes environmental protections and closes the loopholes corporations use to evade or supersede local regulation.
“Furthermore, we simply cannot ignore the devastating effect that the intellectual property rights section of CAFTA will have on access to medicines for Central Americans.
“Trade must be free and it must be fair, and CAFTA does not pass the test. Not only do I intend to vote against this death sentence for American jobs, I will work very hard to convince my colleagues to vote against it as well.”
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