WASHINGTON, DC-Today U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) released the following statement after his vote to oppose the Peru Free Trade Agreement:
“The Peru Free Trade Act is more of the same flawed trade policy. Unfortunately, free trade has not meant fair trade. And it hasn’t meant a fair shake for U.S. workers. Pennsylvania has been especially hard hit. Since 2001, Pennsylvania has lost over 190,000 manufacturing jobs. These were good paying jobs that helped to support communities now torn apart.
“In the face of pressure from Democrats in Congress, President Bush did, for the first time, include labor and environmental standards. However, based upon the President’s track record, my own conversations with the U.S. Trade Representative, and statements from business leaders who had closed door conversations with the Administration, I did not believe that these standards would be enforced. Without enforcement, the standards are not worth the paper they are printed on and we have nothing but the status quo.”
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