Effects of trade deals will linger for years to come, coalition says

The coalition of labor, environmental, farm and community groups worked hard to convince Minnesota’s Congressional delegation to oppose the pacts, with mixed results.

Swayed by support from some farm organizations, Congressmen Collin Peterson and Tim Walz and Senators Al Franken and Amy Klobuchar voted for the Korea Free Trade Agreement and against the Colombia Free Trade Agreement. Walz and Franken voted against the Panama Free Trade Agreement while Peterson and Klobuchar voted for it.

Congressmen Chip Cravaack, John Kline, Erik Paulsen, and Congresswoman Michele Bachmann voted for all three pacts.

“Despite years of protest against unfair trade policies by Americans of all political affiliations, a majority of members of Congress chose to prioritize Wall Street and multinational corporations over their own constituents,” Coalition Director Jessica Lettween said. “This is a win for the top 1% of income-earners while the other 99% will be left to foot the bill.

“The Korea deal alone threatens over 50,000 good-paying Minnesota jobs. This hits hard in a state that has already seen tens of thousands of jobs lost to failed trade policies, with families losing health care, savings, retirement, and homes as a result.

“The consequences of these votes will linger for years to come. Hopefully, the growing movement against greed and government corruption will be strong enough to hold those who approved these pacts accountable for their actions. “

For more information
See the Fair Trade Coalition website