[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 13]
[House]
[Page 17754]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     CAFTA: A RAW DEAL FOR AMERICA

  (Ms. LINDA T. SANCHEZ of California asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute.)
  Ms. LINDA T. SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today because 
CAFTA is a raw deal for America, and opposition to this agreement is so 
strong that the pushers of CAFTA are resorting to lies, deceptions, and 
backdoor deals.
  We all know that CAFTA means exporting American jobs because of 
access to cheap labor markets with almost nonexistent environmental and 
labor standards.
  All week long we have heard from the supporters of this badly 
negotiated trade agreement that they have the votes they need to pass 
it. But I do not want anybody to be fooled and buy this lie. The truth 
is that the overwhelming majority of House Members have already 
indicated that they oppose this bill because it is a bad deal for 
American workers.
  They will not even tell us when CAFTA will come to the floor for a 
vote. Instead, we come to see CAFTA come deceptively to the floor in 
the middle of the night when they think the American public is not 
watching.
  I urge my colleagues to vote their conscience, to not accept backdoor 
deals, to stand their ground. Vote for what they already know is best 
for the people of their district. Vote to send CAFTA back to the 
drawing board.

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