Hall Opposes Bush's Colombia Trade Deal

Statement

Hall Opposes Bush's Colombia Trade Deal

U.S. Rep. John Hall (D-NY19) issued the following statement today in opposition to the Colombia Free Trade Agreement President Bush sent to Congress today.

"I'm disappointed in the flawed Colombia Free Trade Agreement that President Bush sent to Congress. Passage of this agreement would increase the economically damaging trend of sending good American jobs overseas. In this time of great economic difficulty for so many, we would best serve our national interest by encouraging the creation of more American jobs, not approving plans that are likely to reduce them.

I am deeply concerned about Colombia's readiness to be a fair and responsible partner in a free trade agreement. Columbian union organizers have been murdered and kidnapped, leaving Colombian workers and their families fearing for their safety. As long as the Colombian government is unable to guarantee the safety of workers who want to exercise their basic right to organize, Colombia is not prepared for any agreement to be implemented."

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