Barbara Lee Leads Minority Voices in Opposing CAFTA

Barbara Lee Leads Minority Voices in Opposing CAFTA
Says Trade Deal is Worse than NAFTA, Calls for Renegotiation

Today, Congresswoman Barbara Lee spoke out against the Dominican Republic-Central American Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) and called for its renegotiation at a press conference on Capitol Hill called by members of Congress who represent minority communities. Lee was joined by Representatives Hilda Solis (D-CA), Maxine Waters (D-CA), Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio), Gwen Moore (D-WI), Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), Xavier Becerra (D-CA), and Sherrod Brown (D-OH). Also present were legislators from Central American countries who oppose the proposed trade deal. The following is Congresswoman Lee's statement:

"First, I would like to thank my colleagues for showing their solidarity and working to bring communities of color together against CAFTA.

"In particular, I would like to thank our colleagues from Central America for joining us today and standing up for democracy, fair trade, and human rights in opposition to CAFTA.

"CAFTA is anti-minorities, anti-labor, anti-health, anti-environment, and anti-democracy.

"In the U.S., African-American and Hispanic families were among the hardest hit by NAFTA ten years ago, and now we're looking at a trade agreement that includes more of the same devastating economic policies for all involved.

"If you look at the case of North Carolina, a traditional seat of Black farming, the total number of the state's farms decreased 5 percent between 1992 and 1997, but the decline for black-owned farms was 18 percent.

"Or in the case of textile mills and apparel manufacturing jobs, over 780, 000 were lost since NAFTA's enactment. Although African-Americans represent 10.8 percent of the total U.S. workforce, they account for 18.8 percent of textile workers. Latinos represent 12.6 percent of the total U.S. workforce, but account for 26% of textile and apparel industry workers.

"Now let's consider the effect of CAFTA on our friends and neighbors in Central America, especially Afro-descendant and indigenous communities; they, like minority communities here weren't even considered during the CAFTA negotiations.

"Under CAFTA, corporations are given a powerful new weapon to pry open lands and resources currently in the hands of indigenous groups. It is yet another example where the voices of workers and laborers have been stifled.

"And CAFTA would make access to medicines even more difficult for those who need it most in the region. The intellectual property rights components of this agreement are designed to enrich pharmaceutical companies, even if that means denying lifesaving medications to those who suffer from HIV/AIDS and other diseases.

"So who wins under CAFTA: huge multi-national corporations. And who loses: everyone else, especially the people we represent.

"CAFTA is a bad deal, and we need to go back to the table and renegotiate."

http://www.house.gov/lee/releases/05June15.htm