Tarpinian: Time For A New Trade Model

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, December 14, 2007

CONTACT:
Greg Denier
Noreen Nielsen
202-721-0660

WASHINGTON, D.C. − The following is a statement from Change to Win Executive Director Greg Tarpinian regarding the signing of the Peru Free Trade Agreement this afternoon by President Bush:

“Change to Win and its six million members are disappointed in Congress for giving President Bush the opportunity to sign the Peru Free Trade Agreement today. This agreement only perpetuates a discredited trade model that hurts U.S. workers, destroys jobs, and lowers living standards for workers in our trade partner countries.

“We applaud those in Congress – the majority of House Democrats and almost all of the newly elected Democrats in the Senate – who stood with working Americans and voted against this irresponsible agreement.

“Polls show that a majority of Americans from all corners of the political spectrum are fed up with trade deals that promote the off-shoring of jobs and only benefit CEOs and corporate stockholders.

“America should lead the world by creating trade policies that generate good jobs and raise living standards for workers everywhere. The proposed deals with Columbia, South Korea, and Panama do not meet these criteria.

“The national interest demands a moratorium on the approval of any more trade agreements, until we have a new trade model that allows workers to achieve the American Dream.”