Marcy Kaptur: “this week the new Congress, the Democratic Congress, will consider its first bilateral trade agreement during this…”

“this week the new Congress, the Democratic Congress, will consider its first bilateral trade agreement during this session: the Bush-negotiated free trade agreement with Peru. This week, this Democratic Congress has an opportunity, an opportunity to prove that we are different from previous Congresses. We have an opportunity to demonstrate we have heard from America's voters who are fed up with job losses, trade deficits, and race-to-the-bottom wages for our middle class. The American people expect us to reflect their concerns. Yet this bill is merely another godchild of NAFTA. What is the public telling us? In a March 2007 poll by the Wall Street Journal/NBC before the recent scandals involving tainted food and toy imports, 54 percent of Democratic voters said free trade agreements have hurt the United States compared with 21 percent who said they have helped. Then the Wall Street Journal in an October 4 front-page article stated that by a poll they had done, by a nearly 2 to 1 margin, Republican voters believe free trade is bad for the U.S. economy, a shift in opinion that mirrors Democratic views and suggests trade deals could face high hurdles under a new President. And then a Democratic pollster found that 67 percent, two-thirds, of Americans believe unfair trade agreements are making it harder for Americans to keep good jobs. Thus, defeating the Peru free trade agreement isn't just about politics. It is about what Democrats stand for in terms of policy.”