Washington, Dec 18, 2003 -
Congressman Dennis J. Kucinich, Co-Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, issued the following statement today on Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA):

“CAFTA not only rhymes with NAFTA, but will extend the economic ‘disasta’ that Ohio knows something about to more Americans, especially in the South. That is because CAFTA will cause the textile mills of the Carolinas and Georgia to close in the face of imports made cheaper by the agreement.

“Some industry experts estimate that dozens of mills, and tens of thousands of textile mill workers, that are currently hanging on, will go bankrupt. The only beneficiaries will be companies with Central American and Asian factories. The President has also betrayed the millions of poor people in Central America. Under CAFTA, they’ll no longer be able to get access to low-cost pharmaceuticals, which will be made illegal under CAFTA.”