Bush victorious as House narrowly approves Central America free trade pact News
Bush victorious as House narrowly approves Central America free trade pact

[JURIST] The US House of Representatives passed the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) [text] early Thursday by a narrow two-vote margin, 217-215 [roll call] after a strong push by President Bush. Senate approval of CAFTA last month 54-45 [roll call] and Bush's insistence that the trade agreement with six Latin American nations would go a long way to help American workers, farmers and small businesses worked to convince the House to pass the measure. The agreement eliminates tariffs and other trade barriers between the United States and Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and the Dominican Republican. Some Democrats and a few Republicans opposed the measure, arguing that the agreement undermines job security for American workers and leaves workers in the six other countries without labor protections. AP has more.