James Moran: “Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, Colombia, are our neighbors to the south. They are our friends, and they are hurting. Bolivia's…”

“Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, Colombia, are our neighbors to the south. They are our friends, and they are hurting. Bolivia's economy particularly is hurting, in large part because they did exactly what we asked them to do: they eradicated the drug culture in their country. All they are asking from us now is for us to give them the opportunity to sell their legal products and produce to the United States. Products like alpaca and llama wool which we don't even produce. They have really paid an enormous cost, and they deserve this treatment under our ATPA. Likewise, Colombia: we are sending billions of dollars through our military to wipe out the drug trade in Colombia with relatively limited success. The principal reason why it has limited success is because there is very little alternative for many of these farmers, unless we can enable them to have a competitive market in the United States for their produce and their products. Likewise with Peru, who just elected an indigenous leader, a fine person who wants to work very closely with our country. So also is the case with Ecuador. This bill, very importantly, includes the kind of help that Africa for generations has needed, as well as the Caribbean Basin countries. It includes very strong labor protections: the right to organize, to form unions; minimum employment age; much-improved working conditions.”