May 20, 2008
Big business lobbyists – led by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Business Roundtable – are working frantically this month mounting a last ditch push to pass the pending free trade deal with Colombia. They have designated May as World Trade Month, and have flooded Capitol Hill with lobbyists in order to try once again to pass this discredited scheme. Corporate leaders are visibly nervous as they see the fortunes of Congressional Republicans in free fall in the wake of their unconditional support for the Bush program of job exports and plant closings. The Colombia deal is a particularly hard-to-sell scheme, as that union leaders there are routinely murdered by goon squads in the pay of the government and business interests. Trade deals with South Korea and Panama are also pending Congressional action, so the Colombian battle is viewed as key to the success of the others.
Corporate lobbyists recognize that public support for free trade is virtually gone, and the political support for the job-killing practice is in steep decline as most Democrats have voiced opposition to the Colombia deal. Large numbers of Republican lawmakers are also reluctant to embrace the Colombia deal – or the several other pending deals -- as they are fearful of the consequences of their actions at the ballot box this November. The declining political fortunes of the business promoters of free trade have led them to take some extraordinary steps, such as enlisting the pro-business Democratic Leadership Council (DLC) in their recent legislative push. The DLC is led by Democrats who were all former Clinton supporters or members of the Clinton administration, and they hope to win-over Democrats in the recent battle. Press events are also being held in Washington, D.C. and around the country by companies affiliated with the Chamber of Commerce in an attempt to disguise the fact that free trade policies have devastated the U.S. economy.
“No amount of public relations can cover the fact that we have lost millions of good factory jobs due to these low-wage trade deals. The U.S. is now running a trade deficit of more than $700 billion dollars, and the standard of living for working people is collapsing as one plant after another closes down and is moved to the global network of sweatshops run by big business. I would say we have had about all of the free trade that we can stand.” said Bruce Klipple, UE General Secretary-Treasurer. “I am asking UE members to contact their U.S. Representatives immediately to demand that they reject the Colombian deal, and to demand that lawmakers place a moratorium on the passage of new trade deals.”
You may contact your U.S. Representative by calling the Capitol switchboard at (202)224-3121 and asking to be connected to your lawmaker where you can leave your message.
Corporate lobbyists recognize that public support for free trade is virtually gone, and the political support for the job-killing practice is in steep decline as most Democrats have voiced opposition to the Colombia deal. Large numbers of Republican lawmakers are also reluctant to embrace the Colombia deal – or the several other pending deals -- as they are fearful of the consequences of their actions at the ballot box this November. The declining political fortunes of the business promoters of free trade have led them to take some extraordinary steps, such as enlisting the pro-business Democratic Leadership Council (DLC) in their recent legislative push. The DLC is led by Democrats who were all former Clinton supporters or members of the Clinton administration, and they hope to win-over Democrats in the recent battle. Press events are also being held in Washington, D.C. and around the country by companies affiliated with the Chamber of Commerce in an attempt to disguise the fact that free trade policies have devastated the U.S. economy.
“No amount of public relations can cover the fact that we have lost millions of good factory jobs due to these low-wage trade deals. The U.S. is now running a trade deficit of more than $700 billion dollars, and the standard of living for working people is collapsing as one plant after another closes down and is moved to the global network of sweatshops run by big business. I would say we have had about all of the free trade that we can stand.” said Bruce Klipple, UE General Secretary-Treasurer. “I am asking UE members to contact their U.S. Representatives immediately to demand that they reject the Colombian deal, and to demand that lawmakers place a moratorium on the passage of new trade deals.”
You may contact your U.S. Representative by calling the Capitol switchboard at (202)224-3121 and asking to be connected to your lawmaker where you can leave your message.