FROM CONGRESSMAN ADAM SMITH

Dear Scott,

Thank you for taking the time to contact me to express your
opposition to the U.S.-Central American Free Trade Agreement
(CAFTA). I appreciate hearing from you on this important issue.

You will be pleased to know that I will oppose CAFTA when it
comes to the Floor of the House due to CAFTA's inadequate
protections for workers' rights, as well as the Bush
Administration's refusal to invest adequately in the American
workforce and economy.

In December 2002 Congress passed legislation to give President
Bush Fast Track Trade Promotion Authority. This authorizes the
President to negotiate trade agreements with expedited procedures
for implementing legislation. However, the Constitution gives
Congress the primary power over trade policy. I believe that trade
is important to economic growth, both here at home and
throughout the world. However, I also believe Congress needs to
strongly maintain its oversight role and carefully review trade
agreements negotiated through the President's Trade Promotion
Authority.
I recently joined my colleagues Congressmen Rick Larsen and
Brian Baird in publishing my views on CAFTA in the Seattle
Times. I've included the text of the opinion piece for your
reference.

"CAFTA falls far short of a
consensus on trade
By Adam Smith, Rick Larsen and Brian Baird
Special to The Times

Our nation's economic and trade policy under President Bush
has consistently failed to help workers both within the United
States and internationally prepare for the challenges of the
global economy.
Domestically, the Bush administration's fiscal irresponsibility
with tax cuts and unnecessary spending priorities has crippled
our ability to help workers retrain and compete on the
international stage.
Globally, through its trade policy, this administration has
done little to help workers overseas.
With the the Dominican Republic-Central American Free
Trade Agreement (CAFTA), the administration missed an
opportunity to craft a pact that balances the need to open
more global markets to American workers and businesses with
the need to ensure that our workers and businesses can
compete and prosper in those global markets.
Our nation's trade policy is only one spoke in the wheel of
economic policy. Yet, this administration has replaced that
economic wheel with one spoke - trade.
With an active global-trade policy coupled with an inactive
economic-competitiveness policy, our businesses and workers
will be left in the dust of economic progress. Because of these
and other concerns listed below, we will oppose CAFTA when
it comes to the floor of the House of Representatives.
We support trade and know firsthand its critical importance to
Washington state. That is why it is essential that we have a
trade policy that provides American workers and businesses
with real opportunities to grow and that expands and
strengthens our economy. We must fight to ensure that our
workers and businesses, in Washington and across the nation,
are well equipped to compete and prosper in a global
environment.
This administration absolutely must build a real consensus -
one that does not currently exist - around the importance of
trade and around the equal importance of international
competitiveness. To accomplish this goal, trade agreements
must be balanced and fair for American workers and
companies as well as for the nations with which we seek to
engage. Furthermore, we must have domestic policies in place
that help Americans make the transition to the global
economy. The administration has failed on both counts.
The Bush administration has, too often, chosen economic
policies that damage our ability to have a sound policy on
trade. For example, we must take strong steps forward with
investment in research and development programs and allow
governments to partner with universities and businesses in
order to spur innovation. Yet, this administration has made
cuts to vital technology and science programs.
To be competitive, we should invest in small businesses and
give them the necessary resources to establish international
competitiveness. Yet, this administration has slashed the Small
Business Administration's loan programs, resulting in far
fewer small businesses having the chance to successfully get
off the ground.
We need to invest in education so that our children can
become the next generation of American scientists, engineers,
teachers and business leaders. Yet, the administration's
spending and tax priorities have undermined our ability to
invest in education and skills training.
Although progress has been made in recent years to improve
the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) program, we continue
to be dismayed that the administration has pursued policies
that leave many workers who qualify for TAA benefits without
access to this program.
If this failure to invest in TAA and other critical domestic
work-force programs can be said to be a problem now, it will
only get worse if the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts are made
permanent and the administration's fiscal irresponsibility is
left unchecked. We cannot stand by quietly as the
administration undercuts the domestic investments necessary
for a broad national consensus on trade.
If we are to build a consensus on trade policy abroad, we must
understand that workers' rights and effective labor and
environmental enforcement mechanisms are crucial to
ensuring that developing nations fully and effectively
participate in the global economy.
CAFTA, as negotiated by the Bush administration, would
actually weaken the existing workers' protections currently
available under the United States' existing trade-preference
programs with the region. Similarly, on environmental
protection, rural development and public health, the
agreement falls short.
The Bush administration has missed an important opportunity
here. While CAFTA includes strong protections for the
intellectual-property rights that are so important to the Puget
Sound region's high-tech sector, the administration has failed
to take such a serious approach on workers' rights and
environmental protections.
The Bush administration has shown no willingness to engage
with pro-trade Democrats in order to address our valid
concerns, so that we might build a true consensus on trade in
this country. Rather, the administration has shown far greater
willingness to consider the parochial interests of protectionists
than to address the concerns of free-trade supporters such as
ourselves.
CAFTA - and indeed many of the administration's economic
policies - falls far short of this goal.
U.S. Rep. Adam Smith, D-Tacoma, is from Washington state's
9th Congressional District. Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Lake Stevens,
represents the 2nd Congressional District. Rep. Brian Baird,
D-Vancouver, is from the state's 3rd Congressional District."


Again, thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with
me on this important issue. I appreciate your concerns and hope
that this opinion piece sufficiently explains my views. Although I
believe free trade is important to the growth of both the American
and global economy, CAFTA needs to be renegotiated to address
workers' rights and the Bush Administration must make a stronger
investment in the American workforce. As Congress continues to
weigh in on trade policy, I will be sure to keep your views in mind.
In the meantime, should you have any further questions,
comments, or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact me again.


Adam Smith
Member of Congress