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National
Hispanic Caucus of
State Legislators
Resolution Calls on
U.S. Congress to
Support Pending
United States-Colombia
Trade Promotion
Agreement
WHEREAS,
The United
States-Colombia
Trade Promotion
Agreement will
provide duty-free
access to markets
providing immediate
elimination of
duties on 53 percent
of current U.S trade,
and
WHEREAS,
the
comprehensive free
trade agreement
between the United
States and Colombia
will eliminate
tariffs and barriers
to good and services,
while promoting
economic growth and
stability to the
country of Colombia,
and
WHEREAS,
Colombia is the
longest standing
democracy in South
America and it is
the strongest ally
to the United States
in the region.
WHEREAS,
The total
trade for 2006
between the United
States and Colombia
was estimated at
$14.7 billion with
imports accounting
for $8.7 billion and
exports at $6.04
billion, and
WHEREAS,
the United
States-Colombia
Trade Promotion
Agreement levels the
playing field and
enhances competition,
moving the United
States-Colombia
commercial
relationship beyond
a one-way preference
to full partnership
and reciprocal
commitments, and
WHEREAS,
the United
States-Colombia
Trade Promotion
Agreement commits
parties to
effectively enforce
their own domestic
environmental laws
and adopt, maintain,
and implement laws,
regulations, and all
other measures to
fulfill obligations
under covered
multilateral
environmental
agreements, and
WHEREAS,
the
security situation
has improved in
Colombia
significantly since
2000, with
kidnappings down by
76 percent, terror
attacks down by 61
percent, and
homicides down by 40
percent, and
WHEREAS,
Colombia
has proven itself
worthy of America's
support. In recent
years, Colombia's
democratically-elected
President has take
courageous steps to
stop drug
traffickers, rein in
paramilitary groups,
and enforce the law,
and
WHEREAS,
President
Uribe has allowed
the International
Labor Organization
to station a
permanent
representative in
Bogotá. He has also
worked to offer
Colombians better
alternatives to a
life of violence and
drugs, including the
new jobs and
economic
opportunities that
would come from a
trade agreement with
the US, and
WHEREAS,
approval of
the United
States-Colombia
Trade Promotion
Agreement will
ensure that Colombia
continues to make
progress in reducing
violence while
improving economic
stability,
THEREFORE BE
IT RESOLVED BY THE
NATIONAL HISPANIC
CAUCUS OF STATE
LEGISLATORS
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
ASSEMBLED IN MIAMI,
FLORDIA, ON
THIS 17TH DAY OF
NOVEMBER 2007
that NHCSL
does hereby
recognize, support
and promote that
passage of the
United
States-Colombia
Trade Promotion
Agreement by the
United States
Congress.
BE IT
FURTHER RESOLVED
that NHCSL will
recognize, support,
promote the efforts
to urge members of
the United States
Congress to agenda
the legislation and
seek passage.
BE IT
FURTHER RESOLVED
that NHCSL will
recognize, support,
promote the efforts
of State
Legislatures to urge
their state’s
Congressional
delegation to
support the United
States-Colombia
Trade Promotion
Agreement.
This
resolution was
adopted on November
17, 2007, at the
NHCSL Annual
Executive Committee
Meeting held during
the NHCSL 5th
National Summit in
Miami, Florida.
State
Representative Juan
C. Zapata (FL)
Sponsor
Assemblyman
Felix W. Ortiz, (NY)
NHCSL
President |
