[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 13]
[House]
[Page 17531]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




        DOMINICAN REPUBLIC-CENTRAL AMERICAN FREE TRADE AGREEMENT

  (Mrs. BIGGERT asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of DR-
CAFTA. It is not often I agree with the editorial page of The 
Washington Post, but I want to commend the editorial staff for its 
outstanding piece today entitled ``The Stakes in CAFTA.''
  The stakes in CAFTA are indeed high and go far beyond issues of 
tariffs and trade barriers. As the Post put it, ``While the U.S. has 
been focusing on terrorism, a new challenge has been brewing in its own 
hemisphere. House Members should consider this challenge before voting 
to slam the door on Central America's pro-American leaders.''
  The Post concludes that CAFTA will help the poor of Latin America, 
creating 300,000 new jobs and a new mechanism for enforcing labor 
rights. I quote, ``The defeat of CAFTA would help not antipoverty 
movements but anti-American demagogues, starting with Mr. Chavez of 
Venezuela. For them, the retreat of the U.S. from partnership with 
Central America would be a major victory.''
  Mr. Speaker, I would urge support of DR-CAFTA.

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