Sherry Darling
New Yorker
APRIL 13th IS CAFTA NATIONAL CALL-IN DAY Be part of the Global Week of
Action on Trade and call your members of Congress to encourage them to vote
against CAFTA
The Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA)-which includes Costa Rica,
El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic-is
the biggest free trade agreement Congress has considered in more than 10
years. Unless we can turn this flawed approach to trade around, agreements
like CAFTA will put more workers out of a job, jeopardize rural farmers,
threaten the environment, reduce access to life-saving medicines and stifle
democracy.
The Bush Administration is sending a strong message that they are ready to
test whether they have enough votes in Congress to pass CAFTA. This will be
done through formal hearings in the House Ways and Means Committee (April
21st) and the Senate Finance Committee (April 13th).
Because of "fast track", if either committee decides to send the trade pact
to the floor, then there will be a yes or no vote that must be done within
15 days.
Take action to help stop CAFTA: call your Congress member in the House of
Representatives and Senate Finance Committee members.
- Call the AFL-CIO sponsored toll-free number to the Capitol switch board at
1-888-355-3588 (just available on April 13th)
- Need help figuring out who your House Representative is? Go to
www.house.gov and enter your zip code
- If you have a moment, please also call your Senator if he or she is on the
Senate Finance Committee see list below or at www.stopcafta.org
- Call-in script available below or at www.stopcafta.org
- For more Global Week of Action events visit www.april2005.org
A CROSS COALITION CALL
Visit our websites for more information on CAFTA
Alliance for Responsible Trade, Citizens Trade Campaign, Interfaith Working
Group on Trade and Investment, Jubilee USA Network, Mobilization for Global
Justice, Stop CAFTA Coalition, United Students for Fair Trade, and the US
Gender and Trade Network
*******************************************************
PRESSURE THE SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE ON CAFTA!
Call the AFL-CIO sponsored toll-free number to the Capitol switch board at
1-888-355-3588 (just available on April 13th)
The Senate Finance Committee begins CAFTA hearings on April 13. Though the
campaign against CAFTA has thus far focused on the House of Representatives,
it is important to target Senators now as they begin the process of
presenting CAFTA legislation. If one of your Senators is listed below, then
call her or him and use the Call-in Day script to demand a "No" vote on
CAFTA. Let the committee know that we won't let CAFTA go to the floor
without a fight!
Republicans
CHARLES GRASSLEY, IA
ORRIN G. HATCH, UT
TRENT LOTT, MS
OLYMPIA J. SNOWE, ME
JON KYL, AZ
CRAIG THOMAS, WY
RICK SANTORUM, PA
BILL FRIST, TN
GORDON SMITH, OR
JIM BUNNING, KY
MIKE CRAPO, ID
Democrats
MAX BAUCUS, MT
JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER IV, WV
KENT CONRAD, ND
JAMES M. JEFFORDS, VT
JEFF BINGAMAN, NM
JOHN F. KERRY, MA
BLANCHE L. LINCOLN, AR
RON WYDEN, OR
CHARLES E. SCHUMER, NY
***************************************************************
SCRIPT FOR CONGRESSIONAL CALL-IN DAY ON CAFTA
April 13th, 2005 - Go to www.stopcafta.org for a Spanish version of this
script
Call the AFL-CIO sponsored toll-free number to the Capitol switch board at
1-888-355-3588 (just available on April 13th)
When you call:
- Ask to speak to the trade staffer, chief of staff or legislative director
- Tell them you are a constituent and want to know your Rep's position on
CAFTA (unless you already know)
- If the Rep is opposed to the agreement and will vote against it, thank
him/her. Ask him/her to make that opposition public, and for a letter
stating his/her position.
- If the Rep is undecided, say that you oppose CAFTA based on the talking
points below (you can offer to email these talking points) and urge them to
vote no.
- If the Rep is for CAFTA, urge them to reconsider. Inform the office that
you intend to spread the word that the Rep is voting against the public
interest.
SCRIPT/TALKING POINTS
Hello, my name is _______ and I live in _______. I'm calling to ask
Representative _______ to vote against the Central American Free Trade
Agreement (CAFTA); I am deeply concerned about CAFTA and believe that the
agreement will have terrible consequences for Central America, the Dominican
Republic and our own country.
- If passed CAFTA will threaten the livelihoods of millions of small farmers
in Central America and the DR, while increasing domination by agricultural
monopolies and hurting U.S. family farmers
- It threatens to prevent access to affordable life saving medicines in a
region where half the population live in poverty.
- It will prohibit governments in the region from ensuring that foreign
investment serves national development goals, and has a provision like
NAFTA?s Chapter 11 that would allow foreign corporations to sue governments
that pass strong labor, public health or environmental laws.
- It does NOT include adequate enforcement for violations of internationally
recognized labor and environmental standards.
- It includes rules that promote privatization and deregulation of services
including education, health care, postal service, construction,
transportation and water supply. Such policies have proved particularly
devastating for families living in poverty.
- CAFTA will pave the way for more trade agreements such as the Andean Free
Trade Agreement and the Free Trade Area of the Americas which would extend
this flawed model to the whole Western Hemisphere.
After 10 years of NAFTA, we know firsthand the devastating effects of this
economic model. Expanding it in CAFTA ultimately threatens workers, farmers,
women, the environment, and democratic institutions in the U.S.
and the region. I strongly urge Representative_________ to stand up for
trade justice by voting NO to CAFTA in Congress and sending the message to
the Administration that U.S. trade policies must promote fair trade and
sustainable development policies designed to reduce poverty in the U.S. and
the region.
FURTHER BACKGROUND INFO
Hundreds of civil society groups representing labor, environmental
organizations, family farmers, consumers, Latin American solidarity, and
immigrants? rights organizations have already expressed their opposition to
CAFTA, and many Congressional Reps have taken this to heart. Though CAFTA
has been ratified in 3 Central American countries-despite huge protests and
police violence-this strong cross-border opposition to the agreement has
prevented the Bush Administration from submitting it to Congress up until
now. However, the clock is ticking and with the beginning of Senate and
House hearings on April 13, it is clear that CAFTA supporters are pushing
for a vote by Memorial Day. The vote on CAFTA is effectively a referendum on
NAFTA; if it is defeated, it will be mark a huge step towards stopping other
such free trade agreements and open the way for an alternative trade model
that truly addresses issues of poverty and inequality. A coalition of
progressive organizations in the US is celebrating an April Week of on Trade
by focusing on CAFTA. For more information, www.stopcafta.org or
www.april2005.org
Action on Trade and call your members of Congress to encourage them to vote
against CAFTA
The Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA)-which includes Costa Rica,
El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic-is
the biggest free trade agreement Congress has considered in more than 10
years. Unless we can turn this flawed approach to trade around, agreements
like CAFTA will put more workers out of a job, jeopardize rural farmers,
threaten the environment, reduce access to life-saving medicines and stifle
democracy.
The Bush Administration is sending a strong message that they are ready to
test whether they have enough votes in Congress to pass CAFTA. This will be
done through formal hearings in the House Ways and Means Committee (April
21st) and the Senate Finance Committee (April 13th).
Because of "fast track", if either committee decides to send the trade pact
to the floor, then there will be a yes or no vote that must be done within
15 days.
Take action to help stop CAFTA: call your Congress member in the House of
Representatives and Senate Finance Committee members.
- Call the AFL-CIO sponsored toll-free number to the Capitol switch board at
1-888-355-3588 (just available on April 13th)
- Need help figuring out who your House Representative is? Go to
www.house.gov and enter your zip code
- If you have a moment, please also call your Senator if he or she is on the
Senate Finance Committee see list below or at www.stopcafta.org
- Call-in script available below or at www.stopcafta.org
- For more Global Week of Action events visit www.april2005.org
A CROSS COALITION CALL
Visit our websites for more information on CAFTA
Alliance for Responsible Trade, Citizens Trade Campaign, Interfaith Working
Group on Trade and Investment, Jubilee USA Network, Mobilization for Global
Justice, Stop CAFTA Coalition, United Students for Fair Trade, and the US
Gender and Trade Network
*******************************************************
PRESSURE THE SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE ON CAFTA!
Call the AFL-CIO sponsored toll-free number to the Capitol switch board at
1-888-355-3588 (just available on April 13th)
The Senate Finance Committee begins CAFTA hearings on April 13. Though the
campaign against CAFTA has thus far focused on the House of Representatives,
it is important to target Senators now as they begin the process of
presenting CAFTA legislation. If one of your Senators is listed below, then
call her or him and use the Call-in Day script to demand a "No" vote on
CAFTA. Let the committee know that we won't let CAFTA go to the floor
without a fight!
Republicans
CHARLES GRASSLEY, IA
ORRIN G. HATCH, UT
TRENT LOTT, MS
OLYMPIA J. SNOWE, ME
JON KYL, AZ
CRAIG THOMAS, WY
RICK SANTORUM, PA
BILL FRIST, TN
GORDON SMITH, OR
JIM BUNNING, KY
MIKE CRAPO, ID
Democrats
MAX BAUCUS, MT
JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER IV, WV
KENT CONRAD, ND
JAMES M. JEFFORDS, VT
JEFF BINGAMAN, NM
JOHN F. KERRY, MA
BLANCHE L. LINCOLN, AR
RON WYDEN, OR
CHARLES E. SCHUMER, NY
***************************************************************
SCRIPT FOR CONGRESSIONAL CALL-IN DAY ON CAFTA
April 13th, 2005 - Go to www.stopcafta.org for a Spanish version of this
script
Call the AFL-CIO sponsored toll-free number to the Capitol switch board at
1-888-355-3588 (just available on April 13th)
When you call:
- Ask to speak to the trade staffer, chief of staff or legislative director
- Tell them you are a constituent and want to know your Rep's position on
CAFTA (unless you already know)
- If the Rep is opposed to the agreement and will vote against it, thank
him/her. Ask him/her to make that opposition public, and for a letter
stating his/her position.
- If the Rep is undecided, say that you oppose CAFTA based on the talking
points below (you can offer to email these talking points) and urge them to
vote no.
- If the Rep is for CAFTA, urge them to reconsider. Inform the office that
you intend to spread the word that the Rep is voting against the public
interest.
SCRIPT/TALKING POINTS
Hello, my name is _______ and I live in _______. I'm calling to ask
Representative _______ to vote against the Central American Free Trade
Agreement (CAFTA); I am deeply concerned about CAFTA and believe that the
agreement will have terrible consequences for Central America, the Dominican
Republic and our own country.
- If passed CAFTA will threaten the livelihoods of millions of small farmers
in Central America and the DR, while increasing domination by agricultural
monopolies and hurting U.S. family farmers
- It threatens to prevent access to affordable life saving medicines in a
region where half the population live in poverty.
- It will prohibit governments in the region from ensuring that foreign
investment serves national development goals, and has a provision like
NAFTA?s Chapter 11 that would allow foreign corporations to sue governments
that pass strong labor, public health or environmental laws.
- It does NOT include adequate enforcement for violations of internationally
recognized labor and environmental standards.
- It includes rules that promote privatization and deregulation of services
including education, health care, postal service, construction,
transportation and water supply. Such policies have proved particularly
devastating for families living in poverty.
- CAFTA will pave the way for more trade agreements such as the Andean Free
Trade Agreement and the Free Trade Area of the Americas which would extend
this flawed model to the whole Western Hemisphere.
After 10 years of NAFTA, we know firsthand the devastating effects of this
economic model. Expanding it in CAFTA ultimately threatens workers, farmers,
women, the environment, and democratic institutions in the U.S.
and the region. I strongly urge Representative_________ to stand up for
trade justice by voting NO to CAFTA in Congress and sending the message to
the Administration that U.S. trade policies must promote fair trade and
sustainable development policies designed to reduce poverty in the U.S. and
the region.
FURTHER BACKGROUND INFO
Hundreds of civil society groups representing labor, environmental
organizations, family farmers, consumers, Latin American solidarity, and
immigrants? rights organizations have already expressed their opposition to
CAFTA, and many Congressional Reps have taken this to heart. Though CAFTA
has been ratified in 3 Central American countries-despite huge protests and
police violence-this strong cross-border opposition to the agreement has
prevented the Bush Administration from submitting it to Congress up until
now. However, the clock is ticking and with the beginning of Senate and
House hearings on April 13, it is clear that CAFTA supporters are pushing
for a vote by Memorial Day. The vote on CAFTA is effectively a referendum on
NAFTA; if it is defeated, it will be mark a huge step towards stopping other
such free trade agreements and open the way for an alternative trade model
that truly addresses issues of poverty and inequality. A coalition of
progressive organizations in the US is celebrating an April Week of on Trade
by focusing on CAFTA. For more information, www.stopcafta.org or
www.april2005.org
