Lofgren Statement on Free Trade Agreement Votes

October 12, 2011

Washington, D.C. – Today, Rep. Zoe Lofgren issued the following statement in response to her votes against the Panama, Colombia, and South Korea Free Trade Agreements.  

I was fortunate to have had the opportunity to meet with many of my constituents about the free trade agreements that I voted on tonight, in particular the Korea agreement. The Korea proposal was a mixed bag. It was positive in its reach on standard setting in the high tech industries that export equipment connected with the internet. On the other hand, it also expands draconian copyright enforcement schemes that will damage the architecture of the internet itself with accompanying damage not only to technology but also to free speech. This was a difficult decision but in the end my concerns outweighed other considerations and I voted no. The continuing human rights abuses in Colombia precluded my support for that proposal. The Panama proposal contained the same troublesome copyright enforcement schemes as the Korea agreement.