OUTRAGE!… House Democrats Change Rules– Shaft Colombia

THIS IS AN OUTRAGE!
Democrats give America’s great South American ally Colombia the shaft.

Democrats side with international Marxist groups, the Chavez regime and trade unions to squash a free trade agreement with staunch American ally Colombia.

The Democrat excuse: The Democrats “fib” that they are blocking because of attacks on trade unionists.
The Truth: The Uribe government has reduced the number of murders of activists by 80% since 2002.

The Bush Administration has worked hard getting Democrats to support Colombia. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has introduced House Democrats to officials in Colombia (right) but it was all for naught. In the end Condi Rice was standing alone and Democrats went ahead and shafted Colombia. (Reuters)

——-What the mainstream media will not tell you——–
The Democratic point man on Colombia was recently caught dealing with the Colombian FARC Marxist terrorists!!!

** White House press secretary Dana Perino commented: Pelosi was trying to do something “unprecedented in the history of negotiating trade deals in announcing that Democrats would change the rules in the middle of the game.”

** U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab said: The House’s maneuvering was “unprecedented and unfair by any definition.”

** Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez called the move: “Profoundly disappointing.”

The Wall Street Journal reports on this major news story that will most likely not get much press:

The Democratic Party’s protectionist make-over was completed yesterday, when Nancy Pelosi decided to kill the Colombia free trade agreement. Her objections had nothing to do with the evidence and everything to do with politics, but this was an act of particular bad faith. It will damage the economic and security interests of the U.S. while trashing our best ally in Latin America.

The Colombia trade pact was signed in 2006 and renegotiated last year to accommodate Democratic demands for tougher labor and environmental standards. Even after more than 250 consultations with Democrats, and further concessions, including promises to spend more on domestic unemployment insurance, the deal remained stalled in Congress. Apparently the problem was that Democrats kept getting their way.

So on Monday, President Bush submitted the bill to Congress over liberal protests, which, under a bargain between Congress and the White House for trade promotion authority, mandated an up-or-down vote within 90 days. Today Ms. Pelosi will make an ex post facto change to House rules to avoid the required vote, withdrawing from the timetable and thus relegating the Colombia deal to a perhaps permanent limbo.

Democrats say it would have failed anyway, but at least a vote during the next three months would have forced them to show the courage of their protectionist convictions. Instead, they chose to shelve the bill in an election year while paying off organized labor and other antitrade yahoos. The gambit is especially humiliating for Ways and Means Chairman Charlie Rangel, a free-trader who has been trying to strike a deal with the Administration but keeps getting rolled by Ms. Pelosi.

For good measure, the double-cross dismantles the only process that allows any Administration to conduct good-faith negotiations with foreign nations. No one is going to take the U.S. at its word if Congress is going to change the rules when it has second thoughts and renege.

The latest Democratic objection is that Bogotá isn’t doing enough to protect labor activists. But the murders of trade unionists have fallen by almost 80% since 2002, in part because of special protection programs, and Colombian President Álvaro Uribe has reduced other violence by nearly every measure, particularly against narco-traffickers. But any excuse will do. Yesterday Ms. Pelosi said the bill would harm “the economic concerns of America’s working families.” Yet over 90% of Colombian imports enter the U.S. duty-free, while the agreement would open the Colombian market to American goods that face tariffs as high as 35%.

It is only because the Uribe government began programs and investigations into the violence against trade unionists that the violence has fallen by 80%. But, this is still the Democrat’s excuse to side with international Leftists and Marxist groups and against Colombia.

What a sad day for this country.
Worst-Congress-Ever—- Indeed.

Previously:
FARC You! Democrats Choose Terrorists Over Pro-US Colombia!
Pelosi Snubs Pro-US Uribe- Makes Plans to Visit Hugo Chavez!!!
Over One Million March Against Terrorism in Colombia
State Dept. Blasts Dems for Denying Aid to Colombia
OUTRAGE!… Congressional Democrats Continue to Give Loyal US Ally Colombia the Shaft
With An 80% Approval Rating Uribe Battles Democrats For Support
Hooray for Eric Cantor!!… Young Gun Blasts Democratic Congress on Colombia
Busted!… Democratic Point Man on Colombia Caught Dealing With FARC
BREAKING: Colombian President Uribe Blasts Barack Obama

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Jim Hoft is the founder and editor of The Gateway Pundit, one of the top conservative news outlets in America. Jim was awarded the Reed Irvine Accuracy in Media Award in 2013 and is the proud recipient of the Breitbart Award for Excellence in Online Journalism from the Americans for Prosperity Foundation in May 2016. In 2023, The Gateway Pundit received the Most Trusted Print Media Award at the American Liberty Awards.

You can email Jim Hoft here, and read more of Jim Hoft's articles here.

 

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