Minnesota delegation split on free trade deals

Free trade agreements with South Korea, Colombia and Panama passed the U.S. House and U.S. Senate on Wednesday, with much of the Minnesota delegation supporting at least one of the deals.

The bills were supported by corporations, including Minnesota-based Cargill, while labor and human rights groups opposed the measures, particularly the deal with Colombia.

The South Korea agreement passed the House by a vote of 278 to 151 and the Senate by a vote of 83 to 15. The Colombia agreement passed the House 262-167 and the Senate 66-33. The deal with Panama passed the House 300-129 and the Senate 77-22.

Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken voted in favor of the South Korea and both voted against the Columbia deal. Klobuchar supported the Panama deal and Franken opposed it.

Republican Reps. Erik Paulsen, Michele Bachmann, John Kline and Chip Cravaack voted for all three trade agreements.

“These trade agreements will open new markets for Minnesotan and American workers, farmers, and small businesses to sell their goods and services to new customers,” Paulsen said in a statement. “Currently, U.S. exporters face unfair restrictions in other countries – either through high tariffs or discriminating regulations that put them at a disadvantage. These agreements help address these imbalances and level the playing field. I look forward to working with the President to implement these pacts so we can create jobs here at home, and get our economy back on track.”

Cravaack also praised the passage of the bills.

“Our ailing economy will not be cured through a single ‘jobs bill’ — it will take a comprehensive series of measures, all aimed toward removing government barriers to private-sector job growth and tax relief for employers and small businesses,” Cravaack said. “The bipartisan effort to pass the three free trade agreements with Colombia, Panama, and South Korea, which will help America’s farmers, businesses and manufacturers increase our exports and create jobs, represents a good start. These FTAs will create jobs at home in Minnesota without costing taxpayers a dime and will level the playing field for American exports and boost demand for our products.”

Bachmann returned to Washington from the campaign trail to cast her first vote since August.

“My long-standing support of the free trade agreements was reinforced when I met with Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos in Colombia in February, and again when I discussed trade in my office with South Korean Ambassador Han Duk-soo in June,” she said. “Both the countries of Colombia and South Korea are eager for the implementation of these free trade agreements.”

All of Minnesota’s DFLers voted against the deal with Colombia citing concerns of government violence against the labor movement in that country. Reps. Keith Ellison and Betty McCollum voted against all three free trade agreements.

In a floor speech, McCollum explained her opposition.

“In Colombia, the intimidation and murder of trade unionists and human rights workers is widespread. According to Human Rights Watch, over 50 trade unionists were murdered last year,” McCollum said. “The Colombian government’s human rights record may be improving but it is still very poor. This is not the time to reward Colombia’s poor record with a preferential trade arrangement. This agreement does not advance fair trade, and I urge my colleagues to vote against it.”

She also said that the trade agreements would cost American jobs and create offshore tax havens for corporations.

“As we’ve seen with free trade agreements with China, NAFTA, and CAFTA, unfair trade deals cost American jobs,” McCollum said. “This is why Trade Adjustment Assistance exists — to provide training to workers who lose their jobs due to trade. Considering TAA while we consider these three agreements is evidence that these deals result in the loss of jobs here in the U.S. I support the passage of the needed TAA extension in order to provide some protections for American workers.”

The TAA, a fourth bill intended to offset the predicted job losses caused by the trade deals was supported by all members of Minnesota’s congressional delegation.

In the rest of the delegation, Rep. Collin Peterson backed the bill for South Korea and Panama but not Colombia. And Rep. Tim Walz voted for South Korea but not Panama and Colombia.

Just before the vote, the AFL-CIO sent an email alert to supporters urging them to contact Congress to vote against the trade bills.

These trade deals don’t benefit America’s workers. And an increasing number of people understand that. Only 17 percent of Americans polled think so-called free trade agreements have benefited the United States. And even 61 percent of self-identified Tea Party supporters think these agreements have hurt America,” the group said. “Politicians who support these agreements are claiming they will help with our jobs crisis—which is a talking point straight from Wall Street lobbyists—and it’s wrong. The Korea deal alone will cost 159,000 net American jobs.”