CAFTA Debate Heats Up

With hearings set to begin in the House of Representatives, groups for and against the proposed Central American Free Trade Agreement CAFTA are gearing up for a fierce political battle. Thousands of activists flooded congressional offices recently with phone calls on April 13 during a National Call-In Day against CAFTA and again yesterday at anti-CAFTA rallies in Wisconsin and North Dakota.

If approved, CAFTA would eliminate tariffs from the United States, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. It would extend to Central America the disastrous job loss and environmental damage caused by ten years of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

U.S. workers lost 879,280 jobs and wages in Mexico have fallen as a result of NAFTA in the past ten years, according to the Economic Policy Institute.

President Bush has made CAFTA one of his top legislative priorities this year and is pushing for an early vote on the accord.

Contact your Congressperson's and tell them not to support CAFTA. Your job and families future is at stake.