Hello, i called jan schakowsky, the person i spoke with said the congresswoman was against CAFTA and i thanked her the info and expressed my support. i also called senator durbin's office in DC and a person said bill was still being revised for congress and that there was no guarantee it would even make it to the senate. - jason bloyer  (FYI - The bill will NOT be revised.  The CAFTA text was finalized since December, and has been signed by President Bush.  It CANNOT be changed, revised or altered in any way since Congress approved trade agreement "fast track" authority.  CAFTA will be an up or down vote.  No amendments allowed.  It WILL likely face a Senate vote, especially if approved in the House).  Given this context, there is no reason why your members of Congress cannot disclose their position and intention to vote. - gary cozette)   

 

 When I called Senator Obama's office, they did not know what his position is on CAFTA.  However, they had been getting a lot of calls about it.  I asked him to oppose it, saying it was consistent with other positions he had taken.  I also shared my experience from living in Central America.  - Catherine Popowits, Chicago 

 

Special thanks to Amy and Ana, 2 DePaul University interns at the CRLN office this quarter!   Ana called CRLN members in Rep. Danny Davis' district.   Amy called CRLN members in Rep. Bobby Rush's district.  Both Davis and Rush have previously been opposed to CAFTA, but are now wavering.  Thanks to Ana's calls, 20 CRLN members agreed to call Davis; thanks to Amy's calls, 7 CRLN members agreed to call Rush - though others had made their already made their calls, and still others may have called spurred by Amy and Ana's phone messages). Davis staff says he thinks CAFTA will bring lower sugar prices, and thus keep jobs candy company jobs in his district.  Rush staffer Ian Campbell says he is hearing from Illinois farmers that CAFTA will be good for them.   Both cases are incorrect.  Without ENFORCEABLE labor rights standards and environmental protections, these jobs will leave anyway to lower wage countries with weak labor laws.  While multi-national mega-farms will benefit by CAFTA, small farmers will be put out of business, both in the USA and Central America

 

. If you live in either Davis' or Rush's district, and have not yet called, please do.  Call their Washington offices (202/225-3121 Congressional Switchboard), and ask for the staffer who works on trade - or better yet, the legislative director.  Speak with them personally, or ask them to call you back.  Please keep at this.  A vote IS possible in the next few weeks. 

 

Neither Senator Durbin nor Senator Obama have yet made their position public.  If you have new information based on your calls, please call the CRLN office.  

Again, thank you all for your calls today!  Mark your calendar for Tuesday, April 26, which will be a National Call in Day on Colombia!  Watch for an email alert around that time.