CONGRESSIONAL RECORD— Extensions of Remarks E1824 HON
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E1824 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks October 12, 2011 Today, that deficit has exploded to $273 bil- ple of Cape Verde is one that deserves to be A report issued by the Economic Policy In- lion, and with it, millions of American jobs. A chronicled widely, and, I hope, followed. stitute concluded that the Korea FTA agree- recent study by the Economic Policy Institute [From the New York Times, Oct. 10, 2011] ment not only fails to create jobs for American found that the trade deficit with China elimi- EX-PRESIDENT OF CAPE VERDE WINS GOOD- workers, it would result in the net loss of nated or displaced 2.8 million jobs between GOVERNMENT PRIZE 159,000 U.S. jobs in its first seven years. And 2001 and 2010. (By Adam Nossiter) when one considers the details of the agree- I fear that enactment of the trade agree- MONROVIA, LIBERIA.—Pedro de Verona ment, it is not hard to see why. ments debated in this chamber today will fur- Rodrigues Pires, the former president of Under the proposed Korea FTA, the United ther exacerbate job losses in our country. Cape Verde, the desertlike archipelago about States will eliminate tariffs on South Korean EPI found in a study last year that the 300 miles off the coast of West Africa, has won one of the world’s major prizes, the $5 cars and trucks, increasing South Korean im- Korea FTA alone would displace 159,000 jobs million Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in Af- ports here, without requiring them to buy more in the United States. The same study found rican Leadership. of our vehicles. As a concession, South Korea that the Colombia FTA would cost the Amer- The record of governing in Africa has been did agree to waive certain environmental and ican people 55,000 jobs. poor enough lately that the Mo Ibrahim safety requirements for up to 25,000 cars per It is time for this chamber to ask why our Foundation decided not to award the prize U.S. maker—if suddenly there is demand for nation gives open access to our markets to for the past two years. In many African U.S. cars in South Korea, whose consumers foreign competitors—as is the case with South countries, leaders have refused to leave of- fice after losing elections, tried to alter con- historically have not bought U.S. imports. Korea, Colombia, and Panama—and only, stitutions to ensure their continued tenure More than 95 percent of the cars sold in South years later, look to gain similar access into or gone back on pledges not to run for re- Korea today are made in South Korea. their markets. election. History has shown me that genuine free But on Monday the foundation of Mr. Additionally, no changes were made to the trade comes when all parties receive equal ac- Ibrahim, a Sudan-born telecommunications low domestic content rules. Under the pro- cess to each others’ markets. All three of mogul whose goal is to promote good govern- posed agreement, up to 65 percent of the these agreements fail to do so. ment in Africa, announced it had picked Mr. value of a vehicle can be sourced in low-wage Pires of Cape Verde, a sparsely populated nations like China and still qualify for the I close by calling on my colleagues today to former Portuguese colony of 500,000 people, vote in favor of working Americans by voting mostly of mixed Portuguese-African descent. FTA’s duty-free access. As a result, this against these trade agreements and voting in The islands are a perennial exception to the agreement is an open invitation to the auto in- favor of TAA. many low rankings that international orga- dustry to send American auto parts jobs to f nizations, including Mr. Ibrahim’s, give to China. Indeed, the Korean Auto Workers nations on the continent for human rights Union opposes this FTA because the low do- CAPE VERDEAN EX-PRESIDENT and governing. mestic content rules will also invite the South PIRES IS PRAISED FOR HIS Mr. Pires served two terms—10 years—as Korean parts industry to outsource their jobs LEADERSHIP ROLE president until stepping down last month. to China. Meanwhile, Europe’s trade agree- During that period, the foundation noted, Cape Verde became only the second African ment with South Korea requires 55 percent HON. BARNEY FRANK nation to move up from the United Nations’ domestic content. Even NAFTA required 50 OF MASSACHUSETTS ‘‘least developed’’ category. The foundation percent domestic content. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES says the prize is given only to a democrat- But while this FTA does not follow NAFTA’s ically elected president who has stayed Wednesday, October 12, 2011 ‘‘within the limits set by the county’s con- domestic content requirements, it does rep- licate NAFTA’s special privileges for foreign in- Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, stitution, has left office in the last three vestors. This allows foreign investors to evade last week, on the death of former Cape years and has demonstrated excellence in of- domestic courts and use foreign tribunals to Verdean President Aristides Periera, I noted fice.’’ Mr. Pires resisted suggestions that his get reimbursed for regulatory costs from U.S. the great achievement of that country in show- country’s Constitution could be changed to taxpayers. There are more than 270 Korean ing the world that a nation winning its inde- allow him to run again, a further point in his corporate affiliates in the U.S. who would be pendence in the post-World War II period can favor, the foundation said. In addition to the empowered to use these tribunals to raid our progress economically while fully respecting $5 million award paid over 10 years, the win- Treasury if the Korea FTA were implemented. democratic norms. Earlier this week, that ex- ner receives $200,000 annually for life there- tremely admirable record was recognized as after. Among the laws exposed to attack are fi- well by the Mo Ibrahim Foundation as they ‘‘It is wonderful to see an African leader nancial regulations that the U.S. and Korea who has served his country from the time of implemented to restore stability after the dev- awarded the Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in colonial rule through to multiparty democ- African Leadership to Pedro de Verona racy, all the time retaining the interests of astating global financial crisis. The banks and Rodrigues Pires, the recently retired President his people as his guiding principle,’’ Mr. securities firms that wrecked the global econ- of Cape Verde. President Pires was elected to Ibrahim said in a statement. ‘‘The fact that omy would be newly empowered under this two terms as President and was one of those Cape Verde with few natural resources can deal to attack the policies designed to get responsible for the great record of economic become a middle-income country is an exam- them under control. Not surprisingly, the Korea development a record recognized by both the ple not just to the continent but to the FTA is loved by Wall Street’s titans. world.’’ Bush and Obama administrations in their Mr. Ibrahim publishes an index scoring Af- And the FTA even includes President strong support for Cape Verde’s participation rican countries on how they govern, and this Bush’s ban on references to the International in our Millennium Challenge program. Presi- year the index noted significant improve- Labor Organization’s Conventions—the global dent Pires’ popularity and record of success ments in Liberia and Sierra Leone, while labor standard. The agreement does nothing was such that some urged him to support a nonetheless finding an ‘‘unchanged conti- to require South Korean labor law to be put on constitutional amendment so he could run for nental average’’ in ‘‘overall governance qual- equal footing with U.S. law, as under South ity.’’ a third term, but he refused to do that, dem- Korean law, union members can be fired for onstrating a strong commitment to both the f striking and then sued for their employers’ lost spirit and the letter of democracy. THE U.S.-KOREA FREE TRADE profits. The AFL-CIO, Teamsters, and many Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the people of AGREEMENT: A NO WIN SITUA- other American and Korean unions oppose Cape Verde for the example they set so much TION FOR AMERICA AND ITS this FTA. of the world in combining economic progress WORKERS and democratic commitment, and I am glad to With the Big Three beginning to recover and hire more workers thanks to major U.S. gov- once again express to President Pires, whom HON. JOHN CONYERS, JR. I had the privilege of meeting in Brockton, ernment assistance, it seems problematic that OF MICHIGAN Massachusetts last summer, my great admira- Congress would support an agreement that IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES tion and respect for his work. could boost the auto industry’s profits, but only Mr. Speaker, I ask that the article from the Wednesday, October 12, 2011 at the cost of more off-shored jobs. New York Times about Pedro Pires winning Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, why would The proposed Korea FTA is a bad deal for the Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Congress pass three leftover Bush NAFTA- our country and America’s workers. It’s time to Leadership be printed here, because the ex- style ‘‘free trade’’ agreements with Korea, put the American worker first and stop these ample set by President Pires and by the peo- Panama and Colombia? trade deals.