[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 95 (Wednesday, July 19, 2006)]
[House]
[Page H5384]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    REJECT OMAN FREE TRADE AGREEMENT

  (Ms. LINDA T. SANCHEZ of California asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. LINDA T. SANCHEZ of California. Madam Speaker, I rise today in 
opposition to the Oman Free Trade Agreement. This deal is an expansion 
of a failed trade model that does not guarantee even the most basic 
labor standards, and it is simply unacceptable.
  We are talking about an agreement with a country that our own State 
Department says does not meet the minimum requirements for trafficking 
people into forced labor. Even more shocking, labor unions don't even 
exist in Oman. Instead, workers are supposed to be represented by 
committees that actually are run by management.
  In fact, Oman has only fixed one out of 10 areas where they are not 
compliant with the ILO. This is unacceptable.
  We cannot preach about spreading freedom and opportunity around the 
world while ignoring the lack of labor and human rights standards in 
our trade bills. I urge my colleagues to reject the Oman Free Trade 
Agreement.

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