Latest on CAFTA

July 26, 2005

When will the U.S. House vote on the Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA)? That's the $64,000 question on Capitol Hill. One day CAFTA is on the schedule. The next day it's off.

What does this on-again-off-again game tell us? Either 1) House leadership simply doesn't have the votes to pass CAFTA or 2) House leadership has accepted that the vote will be razor close and will therefore hold the vote in the dead of night.

In addition, the on-again-off-again tactic gives leadership the advantage of surprise and short notice; and gives House members and grassroots organizations the disadvantage of little time. (Remember the vote on Medicare prescription drugs.)

When a representative of House Majority Leader Tom DeLay was asked about when CAFTA would be scheduled for a vote, he responded, "It could be Wednesday. It could be Thursday. It could be at 4:00 a.m. We'll bring it up when we have the votes."

Well, it's our job to see that they never have the votes!

Your e-mails and phone calls are being noticed. Are they ever! So much so that Congressman Clay Shaw (Florida), for example, wrote to House members on July 21st that opponents of CAFTA are using "a new round of scare tactics" against America's seniors. Mr. Shaw says not to worry about CAFTA/Codex limiting access to vitamins and dietary supplements. The U.S. will never change its domestic laws to comply with a ruling by the future CAFTA tribunal.

Well, the people saying this are the same ones who said during the debate about the U.S. joining the World Trade Organization (WTO) that the U.S. will never change its domestic tax laws to comply with a ruling by the WTO. Guess what? On October 7, 2004 Congress did change U.S. corporate tax laws to comply with a "ruling" by the WTO Appellate Panel.

We don't know exactly when the U.S. House will vote on CAFTA. We do know the pro-CAFTA forces want it passed before Washington shuts down for the month of August. Therefore, we must continue our work non-stop.

Please check the vote count that was updated today. Changes are marked in red.

Continue to urge your U.S. representative to vote against CAFTA. Continue to spread the word.

To help in the effort, Representative Ron Paul and three of his Liberty Caucus colleagues held a press conference at noon today to explain why they will vote "no" on CAFTA and why their conservative colleagues should do the same. Representatives Ron Paul (Texas), Virgil Goode (Virginia), Walter Jones (North Carolina), and Butch Otter (Idaho) each explained their opposition to CAFTA and answered questions from the press.

Photograph of Press Conference
www.thelibertycommittee.org/caftapress.htm

Updated Vote Count
www.thelibertycommittee.org/caftavotecount.htm

Contact Your U.S. Representative
http://capwiz.com/liberty/issues/alert/?alertid=7860311&type=CO

Again, your efforts are being noticed. We must keep working.

Kent Snyder
The Liberty Committee
www.thelibertycommittee.org