Jul 26, 2007: CONGRESSWOMAN MARCY KAPTUR WINS HOUSE AMENDMENT TO REJECT NAFTA SUPER HIGHWAY

Rep. Marcy Kapturtoday declared "a major victory" following the 362-63 bipartisanvictory in the U.S. House of Representatives late Tuesday night toprohibit the use of federal funds to advance the NAFTA Super Highway aspart of the 2008 Transportation Appropriations Bill.

Kaptur, a senior member and longtime opponent of NAFTA and otherunfair trade agreements, said the margin of the overwhelming anti-NAFTAvote sends "a clear message" that a majority of Congress has come tounderstand the impact of globalization on American jobs. "We hopetonight's vote is a beacon on the horizon that this Congress is finallygoing to correct the course of U.S. trade policy which has seriouslygone awry."

The House approved an amendment crafted by Kaptur, a Democrat, andU.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter (CA-52), a Republican, which prohibits the useof federal funds for Bush Administration officials to participate incontinental working groups under the secretive Security and ProsperityPartnership (SPP). The proposal to create the NAFTA Super Highway hasbecome a topic of enormous controversy in Texas and the heartlandstates.

"The Hunter-Kaptur Amendment," Kaptur said, "was a victory foropenness in trade negotiations, highway safety, good wages, and fairtrade policies. The grip of global corporations was loosened last nightas House members cheered this amendment's passage and its call fortransparency and oversight over the Executive Branch in tradeproceedings."

Congresswoman Kaptur said the NAFTA Super Highway, a proposed12-lane highway that is already under construction in Texas, willdivert thousands of Asian cargo containers from California ports toMexican ports, and then move them to the U.S. through privatizedcorridors across the country without adequate safety provisions andinspection.

"Now, at least, Congress will have the opportunity to investigatethis proposed international corridor and should not be a literal "fasttrack" for more American jobs to leave our country and unregulatedforeign commerce to flow through Mexico to the U.S. on privatized tollroads that undermine our nation's defense and highway systems."