[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 56 (Wednesday, April 9, 2008)]
[House]
[Page H2123]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              THE COLOMBIA FREE TRADE AGREEMENT IS UNFAIR

  (Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute.)
  Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to 
the Colombia Free Trade Agreement for four main reasons. One, the 
agreement will flood Colombia's market with subsidized U.S. produce. 
This will force Colombian farmers to turn to a more profitable crop, 
coca, thereby fueling the drug trade and threatening U.S. national 
security.
  Second, this agreement will aggravate Colombia's horrendous human 
rights record. It will take away incentives to reduce child labor or 
protect union members, and the movement to improve workers' rights will 
languish in the face of international corporations' profits.
  Third, the pact will worsen the plight of the Afro-Colombians. They 
will continue to be forced off their territories, which are prime for 
oil palm and natural gas exploitation.
  And fourth, this free trade agreement is harmful to American workers. 
Its passage will make it more profitable for U.S. companies to move 
their operations to Colombia where labor is cheaper and environmental 
standards are lower.
  Everyone agrees that free trade is good but only when it's fair. The 
Colombia Free Trade Agreement is transparently unfair, and I urge my 
colleagues to oppose it.




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