[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 95 (Wednesday, June 23, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H4711-H4713]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   REAFFIRMING FRIENDSHIP AND ALLIANCE BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND 
                                COLOMBIA

  Ms. WATSON. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to 
the resolution (H. Res. 1465) reaffirming the longstanding friendship 
and alliance between the United States and Colombia.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 1465

       Whereas nearly 15,000,000 Colombians participated in the 
     first round of Colombia's presidential elections on May 30, 
     2010;
       Whereas no candidate received an outright majority of the 
     vote, thereby requiring a runoff election between Juan Manuel 
     Santos and Antanas Mockus, the two candidates with the 
     highest vote totals;
       Whereas Juan Manuel Santos, of the National Unity Party, 
     received 46.7 percent of the votes and Antanas Mockus, of the 
     Green Party, received 21.5 percent of the votes;
       Whereas in the second round on June 20, 2010, Juan Manuel 
     Santos received 69 percent of the votes and was thereby 
     declared President-elect of Colombia;
       Whereas Colombia has overcome tremendous challenges to 
     build their democracy; and
       Whereas Colombia remains a vital ally and friend of the 
     United States: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) reaffirms the longstanding friendship and alliance 
     between the United States and Colombia;
       (2) recognizes Colombia's commitment to the democratic 
     process as demonstrated by the free and fair nature of these 
     multiparty, internationally recognized elections; and
       (3) congratulates President-elect Juan Manuel Santos on his 
     recent victory in Colombia's June 20, 2010, presidential 
     election.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Watson) and the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-
Lehtinen) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from California.


                             General Leave

  Ms. WATSON. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from California?
  There was no objection.

                              {time}  1340

  Ms. WATSON. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of this 
resolution, and I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, last month, Colombia held the first round of their 
presidential elections. In an outcome that surprised many observers, 
the Green Party and the National Unity Party both failed to receive an 
outright majority of the votes, so a runoff was required this past 
Sunday. Over 13 million Colombians participated in the second round, 
with former Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos receiving 69 percent of 
the vote and becoming the President-elect of Colombia.
  With this resolution, the House of Representatives honors the 
Colombian people and their commitment to democracy. Since gaining its 
independence from Spain in 1819, Colombia has remained democratic, 
sometimes as an outlier in this region. We applaud the free and fair 
nature of these multiparty, internationally recognized elections.
  Colombia is not without problems, some of them significant. The human 
rights situation in Colombia leaves much to be desired, and Colombia 
has over 3 million internally displaced peoples, second in the world 
only to Sudan as a result of its long struggles with armed groups that 
the United States and most of the world considers terrorists. While 
these issues must remain on

[[Page H4712]]

the front burner of our common agenda, it is important to recognize 
that Colombia remains an important friend and ally of the United 
States, and their resilience in the long hemispheric battle against 
narcotrafficking is worthy of respect and admiration.
  As we congratulate President-elect Juan Manuel Santos on this victory 
in Colombia's June 20, 2010, presidential election, we have every 
expectation that he and his new administration will continue the 
tradition of a strong relationship with the United States.
  Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to my good friend, 
the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mario Diaz-Balart), a member of the 
Budget, Science and Technology, and Transportation Committees.
  Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. I thank the ranking member of the 
Foreign Affairs Committee from my Florida delegation, Congresswoman 
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, for yielding.
  I rise to strongly support this important resolution. This past 
Sunday, as we have just heard, 20 million of Colombia's citizens turned 
out to the polls and elected former Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos 
as President with a resounding 69 percent of the vote. And yet the true 
champion and the true winners of this presidential election were who? 
The Colombian people and democracy as a whole were the winners and, 
yes, the United States of America, because the Colombian people not 
only elected someone who I know will lead them with brilliance, but 
also a person who understands the special ties between Colombia and the 
United States of America.
  Madam Speaker, words are important, but so are actions. It is now 
also time--yes, we have to pass this important resolution, but we also 
have to bring forward to this House the free trade deal with Colombia 
that has been lingering and just waiting for congressional action.
  Colombia is a strong ally, they've done everything right. The people 
have once again spoken--with huge numbers--and supported a person who 
again has been pushing for the free trade deal just like his 
predecessor, the current President of Colombia, President Uribe, who 
again has demonstrated great leadership.
  It's time that we bring up the free trade deal, it's time that we 
passed the free trade deal, it's time that not only do we shower 
Colombia with kind words, but that we show with our action, this 
Congress, that we do care for democracy, that we understand that we 
have to support our allies, none more important than Colombia. It's 
time to pass the free trade deal with Colombia, and in the meantime, I 
urge your support of this important resolution.
  Ms. WATSON. Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I 
reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to 
the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Moran), the ranking member on the 
Agriculture Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk 
Management.
  Mr. MORAN of Kansas. I thank the gentlewoman from Florida for 
yielding.
  I traveled to Colombia in April of 2008 to see our U.S.-Colombia 
partnership at work. Colombia has overcome many, many challenges and 
more remain, and it's essential that the United States continue a 
positive relationship with this critical ally in South America.
  While it's good we're here today to discuss and pass this nonbinding 
resolution in support of Colombia, the better way to show our support 
for the Colombian people is to approve a still pending--4 years now--
trade agreement. It has been nearly 4 years since the FTA, the free 
trade agreement, was signed, and yet Congress has failed to act. The 
longer we wait to approve the free trade agreement, the more we 
alienate this important ally and harm the American economy.
  Currently, over 90 percent of Colombian goods enter our country duty 
free, but U.S. goods, including wheat and other agriculture 
commodities, are assessed at significant tariffs upon their entry to 
Colombia. If the Colombian Free Trade Agreement was approved, duties on 
U.S. wheat would immediately be eliminated, creating new opportunities 
for wheat exports.
  It's harvest time in Kansas, and new market access is critical for 
Kansas wheat farmers who are encountering growing wheat supplies and 
declining prices. Unable to move wheat on the world market, grain 
elevators are dropping cash prices paid to our local farmers.
  I support this resolution, but it is not a substitute for what we 
ought to be doing, approving the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I am so honored to yield 2 minutes 
to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Brady), the ranking member on the 
House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Trade who has been a proud 
proponent of passing the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement.
  Mr. BRADY of Texas. I thank the gentlelady for her leadership and for 
yielding.
  I want to congratulate the Colombian people and President-elect 
Santos on a successful and democratic election. Madam Speaker, I would 
like to enter into the Record this editorial from The Washington Post 
calling on the administration and congressional Democrats to support 
the incoming Santos administration by acting on the U.S.-Colombia Trade 
Promotion Agreement.
  President-elect Santos will continue the great work done by President 
Uribe to strengthen the rule of law and improve the lives of all 
Colombians. Colombian workers are safer now than ever before. Despite 
this progress, Colombia faces real challenges. Venezuela has imposed a 
trade embargo because of Colombia's strong support for the United 
States, severely damaging the Colombian economy. We have a powerful 
tool to help Colombia weather the embargo, the U.S. Free Trade 
Agreement with Colombia. With this agreement, the United States would 
provide both economic and political support for a truly democratic 
government and a longstanding ally. Unfortunately, Dem-
ocrats in Congress have denied us even the opportunity for a simple up-
or-down vote on the agreement. But other countries aren't standing 
still. They are reaching agreements with Colombia, racing ahead to put 
their workers and their businesses ahead of ours. Just yesterday, the 
Canadian Legislature ratified the Canada-Colombian Trade Agreement. 
That agreement could go into effect in just a few months. Colombia is 
negotiating agreements with Europe, Panama, and South Korea, as a 
result, American workers are falling behind.
  There is no credible reason to oppose the U.S.-Colombia Trade 
Agreement. It levels the playing field for American workers, creating 
over $1 billion in new U.S. sales to Colombia. The bill imposes 
stronger labor protections for Colombian workers, which is why 
thousands of union workers in Colombia support the agreement. And it 
demonstrates America's commitment to a valuable and longstanding ally.
  The administration says it wants to increase U.S. exports, create 
jobs, and ensure strong U.S. foreign policy, but none of this is 
credible while it ignores the U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement 
and does not make it ready for a vote in Congress.

           [From the Washington Post, Tuesday, June 22, 2010]

          Will Washington Treat Colombia's Santos as an Ally?

       Juan Manuel Santos has demonstrated that pro-American, pro-
     free-market politicians still have life in Latin America. Mr. 
     Santos, who romped to victory in Colombia's presidential 
     runoff on Sunday, has no interest in courting Iran, unlike 
     Brazil's Luiz Ignacio Lula da Silva. He has rejected the 
     authoritarian socialism of Venezuela's Hugo Chavez. A former 
     journalist with degrees from the University of Kansas and 
     Harvard, he values free media and independent courts. His 
     biggest priority may be ratifying and implementing a free-
     trade agreement between Colombia and the United States.
       So the question raised by Mr. Santos's election is whether 
     the Obama administration and Democratic congressional leaders 
     will greet this strong and needed U.S. ally with open arms--
     or with the arms-length disdain and protectionist 
     stonewalling to which they subjected his predecessor, Alvaro 
     Uribe.
       Mr. Uribe will leave office in August as one of the most 
     successful presidents in modern Latin American history, 
     though you would never know it from listening to his critics 
     in Washington. He beefed up Colombia's army and economy, and 
     smashed the terrorist FARC movement; murders have fallen by 
     45 percent and kidnappings by 90 percent during

[[Page H4713]]

     his eight years in office. Though most Colombians wanted him 
     to remain in power, he bowed to a Supreme Court ruling 
     against a referendum on a third term--which means that unlike 
     Mr. Chavez, he will leave behind a strong democratic system.
       Colombia has nevertheless been treated more as an enemy 
     than friend by congressional Democrats, who have steadily 
     reduced U.S. military aid and worked assiduously to block the 
     free-trade agreement Mr. Uribe negotiated with the Bush 
     administration. The Obama administration, which has courted 
     Mr. Lula and sought to improve relations with Venezuela and 
     Cuba, has been cool to Colombia, recommending another 11 
     percent reduction in aid for next year and keeping the trade 
     agreement on ice.
       Mr. Santos's election offers an opportunity to revitalize 
     the relationship. As defense minister, he demonstrated a 
     commitment to addressing the human rights concerns that 
     troubled some in Congress. He has pledged to seek better 
     relations with both Venezuela and Ecuador, despite the 
     material support those countries have provided to the FARC.
       Ratification of the free-trade agreement would serve the 
     administration's stated goal of boosting U.S. exports while 
     bolstering a nation that could be an anchor for democracy and 
     political moderation in the region. It would also allow the 
     administration and Congress to demonstrate that friends of 
     the United States will be supported and not scorned in 
     Washington.

  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise today as the proud author of the resolution 
before us, House Resolution 1465, which reaffirms the longstanding 
friendship and the deep alliance between the United States and 
Colombia.

                              {time}  1350

  Furthermore, it recognizes our shared commitment to democracy, and it 
congratulates Juan Manuel Santos as President-elect of Colombia.
  In Colombia, we have seen the impossible become possible. Once under 
siege by extremist groups and drug cartels, the people of Colombia and 
its government have transformed a dark past into a promising bright 
future. The recent Presidential elections in Colombia are a testament 
to this progress and demonstrate the confidence that the people of 
Colombia have in President-elect Santos. Receiving 69 percent of the 
vote, President-elect Santos has a clear mandate to continue much of 
the progress seen under President Uribe.
  Following his victory on Sunday, President-elect Santos said, 
``Colombia is leaving its nightmare. The FARC's time has run out. No 
more useless confrontations, no more divisions. The time has arrived 
for union. The time has arrived for work, employment and 
entrepreneurialism.''
  Juan Manuel Santos' professed commitment to the values of freedom and 
demonstrated ability to stand up to extremists stands in stark contrast 
to the tyrannical and destabilizing agendas of dictators in the region. 
Further, the free and fair nature of the multiparty, internationally 
recognized Presidential election in Colombia serves as an important 
reminder to some in the region of what a real and genuine democratic 
electoral process really looks like.
  With elections scheduled soon in Venezuela and Nicaragua, we have 
already seen both Hugo Chavez and Daniel Ortega pulling out all the 
stops to question their opposition. From the media to the courts, 
Chavez and Ortega have no shame in their abject dismissal of the 
democratic processes in their countries. However, as critical as it is 
to call out those who affront the principles of a democratic society, 
it is equally important to recognize those who embrace them, which is 
why we are here today, Madam Speaker, standing in support of House 
Resolution 1465.
  Colombia represents to many the light at the end of the tunnel. 
Colombia shows that, with hard work, determination and a commitment to 
fundamental freedoms, a democracy can flourish no matter what the odds. 
Instead of falling into a deep division, Colombia is ascending the peak 
of freedom and democracy. I have no doubt that the vital alliance 
between our country and Colombia is poised to become ever closer and 
more successful than ever under the leadership of President-elect 
Santos, and I remain ever hopeful that this alliance will soon include 
the passage of the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement.
  Colombia has enormous potential for U.S. businesses, especially in my 
home State of Florida. Miami had nearly $6 billion in total trade with 
Colombia last year alone. Signed nearly 4 years ago, the FTA is one of 
the easiest, most obvious steps that Congress can take to expand these 
important economic ties.
  We can ask for no better partner or trusted ally than the people of 
Colombia. Its commitment to the democratic process, as demonstrated by 
this weekend's free, fair, and transparent election, shows what can be 
accomplished when the basic tenets of liberty are afforded to the 
people of a nation.
  In closing, Madam Speaker, I would like to congratulate President-
elect Santos on this momentous occasion, and once again, I would like 
to recognize the unbreakable ties between the people of the United 
States and Colombia.
  I am so pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas--they 
only come that way in Texas--Judge Poe, an esteemed member of our 
Committee on Foreign Affairs.
  Mr. POE of Texas. I thank the gentlewoman from Florida for yielding 
some time.
  Madam Speaker, this is an important resolution. It puts the United 
States on record as to where we stand in our part of the world when it 
comes to democracy and in supporting our allies. Colombia is an ally of 
the United States.
  When I was in Colombia in April, down in the jungle with the 
narcotics police--with General Patino--helping and watching how they 
fight the cartels and FARC, I learned from the Colombians that they 
like Americans, not just their government but the people of Colombia. 
Yet that is not universally true in South America. There are a lot of 
folks who don't care much for the United States, but the Colombian 
people are our allies, not only politically, but also, they like 
Americans for who we are. They support us, and we should support them.
  It was a good day for democracy when President Santos was elected 
this past weekend. We should show Colombia and the rest of the world 
that we support this democracy in South America. We should also support 
the Colombian-American Free Trade Agreement. This is an important 
agreement to show that we mean business in supporting another 
democracy. Rather than talking about trading with the Chinese, we ought 
to talk about trading with democracies. This is one of those 
democracies, and it is being stalled for political reasons.
  We need to support this. We need to pass it through this House and to 
make sure that the Colombians know that we mean, in word and deed, that 
they are our ally, especially our ally in free trade. So I commend this 
resolution. We must make sure that we support democracy anywhere it 
occurs in the world, and we must support freedom as well. Let's move a 
step forward, and let's move forward with the free trade agreement with 
our friends, our allies, and our neighbors in Colombia.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I thank my good friend from Texas.
  I have no further requests for time, Madam Speaker, and I yield back 
the balance of my time.
  Ms. WATSON. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Watson) that the House suspend the 
rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 1465.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________