BTL:Hardball White House Tactics Win Passage of CAFTA

Hardball White House Tactics Win Passage of Central America Free Trade Agreement

Interview with John Cavanaugh, director of The Institute for Policy Studies, conducted by Scott Harris

By the narrowest of margins, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Central American Free Trade Agreement in the early hours of July 28. The hard-fought battle saw last minute shifts among many legislators whose votes were sought by an aggressive White House wielding threats and rewards. The victory was secured after Republicans extended the usual 15 minutes of voting time to over an hour for the purpose of pressuring wavering representatives. In the end, 15 Democrats supported CAFTA, while 27 Republicans bucked their party by opposing the trade treaty.

The controversial Central America Free Trade Agreement or CAFTA, will eliminate trade barriers between the U.S., Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. Critics fear that like the North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA, that came into force in1994, CAFTA will accelerate the loss of U.S. jobs, devastate small farmers and encourage the proliferation of sweatshops. Over the last decade, NAFTA has been blamed for the loss of one million American jobs and 1.5 million Mexican farmers being driven off their land.

Between The Lines' Scott Harris spoke with John Cavanaugh, director of the Institute for Policy Studies. He takes a critical look at congressional passage of the Central America Free Trade Agreement and what it may mean for workers on both sides of the border.

Contact the Institute for Policy Studies by calling (202) 234-9382 or visit their website at http://www.ips-dc.org.

Related stories:
"Turning the CAFTA Loss to a Win," by John Cavanaugh, AlterNet.org, July 28, 2005

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