I just finished watching 3 hours of the debate (and vote) on the Central American Free Trade Agreement on the floor of the house on C-SPAN. I have to admit that I am still very torn about the whole issue. As ever, I am overwhelmed by the arrogance and outright lies on the part of the republican majority, but I am not surprised by it.As always, Charlie Rangle (D, NY) made for an entertaining debate. I took a note down whenever I was particularly impressed by a speaker. I mean to investigate these folks a little more in future:

Debate on CAFTA on CSPAN - 7/28/05
• Ron Paul, Republican of TX - we’ve transferred the power to negotiate trade to president and then a beaurocratic body. This is an awful bill, if we wanted free trade, it could have been a paragraph long.
  
Article 1: "Section 1. All legislative powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives"

  The Commerce Clause
Article 1, section 8: “…To regulate commerce with foreign nations, and among the several states, and with the Indian tribes;”


• Bob McDermott, Democrat of WA - the ‘threat’ of more immigration if CAFTA fails is bogus: these folks are poor, not stupid. They would much rather come to do a job in the US than work for 0.50/hr with no protections.
• Arthur Davis, Democrat of AL - “standing by these countries”, while not considering the economic plight of those children and women in these countries who are forced to work for nothing with no labor protections other than ‘enforce your own laws’
• Dennis Kucinich, Democrat of OH - trade without worker’s rights is tyranny. What the administration wants is to institutionalize cheap labor where workers have no rights.

At this point the vote is stalled at 214 for passage, with 211 against. A pretty slim victory for the administration if it carries. Even though the GNP of all the nations involved amounts to less than that of Tampa, FL - it will ensure the ‘protection’ of the interest of several big US agri-businesses, and the ultimate destruction of many smaller US businesses (like sugar). It will likely create zones in these countries not unlike the Maquiladoras along the border in Mexico, where women work in sweatshops for 0.50 cents/hour (I’ve heard they are getting over $1/hour now and some have air conditioning - how humane) and go home at night to their shanty towns.

The main argument I have against it is that all provisions for labor protections seem to have been stripped out. The republicans make the claim that there are protections, but from what i read, the only requirement is that the Central American nations need to enforce their own law, whatever they may decide that to be, irrespective of what international guidelines suggest. Now that’s a fair cop.

It’s not surprising how many folks from South America come up north for work where they can make $75 to $100 a day (tax free) when they are looking at $10 a day (10-12 hour days) in squalid conditions with no more labor protections than they have here for 6 days a week of work. For some republicans to suggest that this agreement will somehow induce Central Americans to stay at home is absurd - as Bob McDermott says: they’re poor, not stupid.

Yet another bill that protects the rights of several big lobbyist players to continue to make huge profits by continuing to supply raw materials to Central America (yay for somebody’s job here) at the expense of the Central Americans who will be exploited more effectively with the influx of American capital to ensure that they do not organize and demand fair treatment.

And of course, some kind of recompense is required to the leaders of these impoverished nations since they willingly offered up some of their population for inclusion in the coalition of the “willing”. I don’t know how ‘willing’ you would be living in Guatemala when the police come to draft you - but there it is.

Enron and Worldcom have shown clearly how a deregulated ‘free market’ can destroy the savings and security of hard working Americans, it’s not much of a strech to imagine how much compassion these types will bear for their employees in Central America, and the victims won’t be able to plead their case in English on national TV after the crimes are committed either.

It’s now midnight, and there are still 7 members who haven’t voted. The vote commenced at 11pm and was supposed to be a 15 minute vote. The republicans could ‘close the gavel’ at this point with their 5 vote lead, but if they get to 218 it will be a ‘clear majority’. I think I’m going to bed, though.