washingtonpost.com
Administration Trying to Build CAFTA
Majority Vote by Vote
Clash in House With Democrats Takes On Added Status
By Jonathan Weisman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, July 21, 2005; A04
At a closed-door meeting of House Republicans yesterday,
Rep. Bill Thomas (Calif.) sidled up to the lectern and
hinted that the leadership might look more favorably on
lawmakers' requests for highways and bridges if they vote
for the Central American Free Trade Agreement, according to
three GOP witnesses.
"Just to let you know, we're having some problems with
the highway bill. It probably won't be finished until after
the CAFTA vote," the deadly serious chairman of the Ways and
Means Committee said to knowing laughter.
In the scope of trade deals, CAFTA is a minor economic
matter, extending duty-free trading privileges to six Latin
American countries whose combined economies are smaller than
the Czech Republic's. But as a political fight, the deal has
snowballed into a major showdown ahead of the final House
vote next week.
"CAFTA has been given symbolic status by both sides that
is well outside its true economic importance," said Rep.
Phil English (R-Pa.), who opposed the agreement in the Ways
and Means Committee, then promised to support it next week
after securing a promised vote on China trade legislation.
"But that does not mean it does not have enormous political
significance," he said.
Both sides agree a CAFTA defeat would weaken President
Bush's hand on the rest of his legislative agenda while
casting a pall on looming trade negotiations with far
greater significance: the hemispheric Free Trade Agreement
of the Americas and the Doha round of global trade talks.
The Senate recently approved CAFTA.
"Clearly a CAFTA defeat would have larger implications
than just the agreement," said Matthew Niemeyer, assistant
U.S. trade representative for congressional affairs. "And
that's why we won't fail."
Bush has held eight meetings with House members, three
with senators, and appeared at five dedicated CAFTA events,
the latest scheduled for today at the Organization of
American States. Since U.S. Trade Representative Rob Portman
took office 2 1/2 months ago, he has held about 100 meetings
on and off Capitol Hill.
According to administration and House aides, the White
House has authorized Republican leaders to secure votes with
whatever is at hand, from amendments to the highway and
energy bills to the still incomplete annual appropriations
bills. Side deals may be in the works on textiles and sugar.
House leaders have even approved a vote on a slate of
punitive China trade provisions that risks alienating a
trading partner that dwarfs Central America.
"No one's opposing CAFTA yet," said Julia Hughes, a
lobbyist for textile and apparel importers, who is anxious
about the concessions already on the table. "But they're
really taking away some of the benefits that make it
meaningful."
On the other side, Democrats and their allies have
countered with threats to cut off fund-raising support for
any Democrat flirting with a "yes" vote. Trade unions have
used radio advertising to keep up the pressure, especially
on three Republicans in the Syracuse, N.Y., area.
Constituents of Rep. Charlie Gonzalez (Tex.), an undecided
Democrat, have been subjected to two rounds of automated,
pro-CAFTA phone calls, while his San Antonio staff was
targeted by laid-off Levi Strauss & Co. workers protesting
the deal.
"There's a whole lot of pushing and shoving, on both
sides actually," Gonzalez said. "There have been some
difficult votes around here in the past years, but this one,
you've never seen anything like it."
So far, administration officials concede they still do
not have the votes to pass CAFTA in the House. They will
likely be five to 10 votes short when the proposed agreement
goes to a final tally Wednesday or Thursday. Opponents say
they have 28 solid Republican votes against the pact, while
only a dozen Democrats may back it.
The White House had hoped to win over blocs of undecideds
-- textile representatives, sugar industry allies,
immigration opponents, or lawmakers from manufacturing areas
rife with anti-China feelings. But those blocs have barely
budged. Now, the administration is going vote by vote.
"We're not there yet," Niemeyer said, "but we're quickly
cleaning up undecideds and are clearly within striking
distance."
To win over Rep. Bob Inglis (R-S.C.) and possibly a few
more textile-state Republicans, Thomas secured a promise
this week from the six CAFTA countries to halt the use of
Chinese-made apparel pockets and linings for their duty-free
clothing exports to the United States.
English was granted a vote on his China trade provisions.
And sugar-state lawmakers are wringing out new concessions
that could allow sugar growers access to the federally
mandated ethanol market.
"I feel very good about the fact that CAFTA is helping to
secure and lift up our own neighborhood [in Centra
America]," said Rep. Adam Putnam (R), whose Central Florida
district includes sugar cane growers. "I just want to make
sure it doesn't throw an industry that I support overboard."
House members say the president has expressed some
exasperation about the amount of time he has spent on the
deal. He has had to reach out to some strange bedfellows.
And no potential ally has proven too small for attention.
Earlier this month, Bush aides surprised Anne Alonzo,
approaching the former Clinton administration official and
seeking an invitation for the president to address her small
pro-CAFTA Hispanic Alliance for Free Trade. That speech is
planned for today.
"We're not a big mean fighting machine. It's just me and
him," Alonzo said, pointing to an intern.
Staff writers Paul Blustein, Laura Blumenfeld and Mike
Allen contributed to this report.
