The TRADE Act (H.R.3012) sets a clear standard for where House Democrats are on trade and is a clear rejection of the NAFTA model. It requires a comprehensive review of the economic impact of existing major trade deals, before any new ones are considered. It also stipulates environmental and labor standards and provisions for food and product safety and human rights protections that lawmakers say were omitted from previous trade deals and now must be included.
It has 106 cosponsors in the house. None of our local representatives is on that list!
More at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/24/AR2009062403282.html
and: http://citizen.typepad.com/eyesontrade/
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I am dismayed that John Hall is praised in the article, “John Hall’s Quiet Accomplishments”, on the Rockland Progressive Dems website. While Hall pretends to be a progressive, he is just another Wimpocrat.
Here are a few examples of his positions:
1. He supports Obama’s (and Bush’s) plan to reduce (not remove altogether) our forces in Iraq, while escalating the war in Afghanistan.
2. He does NOT support single-payer universal health care.
3. He supported right winger Kirsten Gillibrand for the senate seat.
With “progressives” like this, we don’t need right wingers. (If I sound somewhat bitter about Hall, this is because I mistakenly made a modest contribution to his election campaign.)
I believe we might get our 3 reps to support this if we call. The numbers are: Engel- (202) 225-2464, Lowey- (202) 225-6506, Hall- (202) 225-5441
Engel, being the chair of the House Foreign Affairs subcommittee for the Western Hemisphere should be targeted for constituent calls. Unforunately, Engel has backed NAFTA like legislation for more Latin American countries, such as Peru. And the problem with trade agreements, as they are currently written, is that they are not self-enforcing. Trade agreements must depend upon vigorous enforcement, which requires specific official actions must be taken when treaty violations occur. The trade agreement with Peru ignored this type of provisioning, and the legislation had Engel’s blessing.
Update: John Hall is now a cosponsor of this bill! Where are Lowey and Engel? PLEASE CALL!