CAFTA and Its Negative Impact on Latinos

CAFTA AND ITS NEGATIVE IMPACT ON LATINOS -- (House of Representatives - July 25, 2005)

(Ms. SOLIS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)

Ms. SOLIS. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in opposition to CAFTA because it is a bad policy for families that I represent in my district, particularly Latino families not only in the United States but in Central America.

CAFTA will outsource valuable American jobs. In fact, in the last 10 years when we approved NAFTA, we lost 1,000 jobs in my district alone.

CAFTA will destroy the jobs of subsistence for farmers and others who depend on the environment in Central America.

As the only member of Central American descent, I think I do have the right to say that poverty there is still something that is very real for many of the people that live in Central America and particularly they will be most affected, whether it is their health care, access to medicines, whether it is farming jobs there. All that is at stake for people in Central America.

I am afraid to say that if we take away those opportunities, those individuals might want to come here to this country. And I know that there is a movement here in this country to say close the borders, but at the same time we are sending signals that we are going to be helping the very wealthy in these countries and not those who need it very much.

So I would oppose CAFTA and ask my colleagues to do so as well.

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