Backgrounder posted November 6, 1998 by John Sweeney
Why Free Trade Matters to the American Farmer
The American farmer has been battered this year on
two fronts. Despite record harvests in the United States, the
world's grain surpluses and slumping demand in Asia are driving
prices of agriculture commodities to their lowest level in decades.
Farmers in 1998 were also devastated by nature--drought in Texas,
crop disease in North Dakota, and flooding in the upper…
Executive Summary posted November 6, 1998 by John Sweeney
Why Free Trade Matters to the American Farmer
The global financial crisis is hurting American
farmers already. Record harvests in the United States and other
countries, worldwide grain surpluses, and the slumping demand in
Asia have combined to drive the prices of agriculture commodities
to their lowest level in decades. Farmers appealed to the 105th
Congress to help expand U.S. agriculture exports by promoting…
Executive Memorandum posted August 26, 1998 by John Sweeney
Fast Track Negotiating Authority: The Facts
On September 24, the House of Representatives will
vote on a bill to renew President Bill Clinton's fast-track
authority to negotiate trade agreements with other countries. Since
1974, Presidents have used fast-track authority to negotiate trade
agreements that reduced foreign taxes on American exports and
provided American consumers with a broad selection of goods…
Executive Memorandum posted August 17, 1998 by John Sweeney
Clinton's Last Chance on Fast-Track Trade
Ignoring the conventional political wisdom that
trade bills do not fare well in election years, Republican
congressional leaders announced on July 29, 1998, that a bill to
renew President Bill Clinton's fast-track negotiating authority
will be voted on by the House during the week of September 21. The
Senate Finance Committee voted 18-2 on July 21 to renew…
Executive Summary posted July 6, 1998 by John Sweeney
Clinton's Latin America Policy: A Legacy of MissedOpportunities
The second Summit of the Americas, held in
Santiago, Chile, on April 18-19, 1998, showcased how much influence
and leadership the United States has lost throughout Latin America
during the Administration of President Bill Clinton. His attendance
at the summit without fast-track trade negotiating authority was
symptomatic of the creeping paralysis in U.S. trade policy…
Backgrounder posted July 6, 1998 by John Sweeney
Clinton's Latin America Policy: A Legacy of MissedOpportunities
The second Summit of the Americas in Santiago,
Chile, on April 18-19, 1998, showcased how much influence and
leadership the United States has lost throughout Latin America
during the Administration of President Bill Clinton. The Economist
at that time remarked that President Clinton was "almost in the
dunce's cap" for not having fast-track trade…
Backgrounder posted December 5, 1997 by Bryan T. Johnson, John Sweeney
Down the Drain: Why the IMF Bailout in Asia Is Wasteful andWon't Work
The International Monetary Fund (IMF)
is bailing out Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, and South
Korea, the world's 11th-largest economy. The current estimated cost
of these four financial rescue projects is $118 billion, but many
financial analysts fear this amount could rise to as much as $163
billion-about five times more than it cost the IMF and the…
Backgrounder posted October 22, 1997 by John Sweeney
Myth and Realities of the Fast-Track
Introduction
Few issues in recent years have been as contentious--or as
widely misunderstood--as the issue of renewing presidential
fast-track negotiating authority. Before the current session of
Congress ends, Members must vote either to grant or deny President
Bill Clinton the fast-track trade authority he has requested.
President Clinton has sought this…
Executive Memorandum posted October 16, 1997 by Robert P. O'Quinn, John Sweeney
Congress Cleans Up Clinton's Fast-track Bill
The House Ways and Means Committee and Senate Finance Committee
have approved fast-track legislation which resolves problems in the
original bill submitted by President Bill Clinton on September 16,
1997. Congressional leaders wisely refused to give the President
broad authority to include labor and environmental issues unrelated
to trade in any future trade…
Executive Memorandum posted September 19, 1997 by Robert P. O'Quinn, John Sweeney
The Fast Track Bill: Keep It Clean
President Bill Clinton sent Congress a draft bill on September
16, 1997, requesting renewal of fast track authority to negotiate
trade and investment agreements with other countries. The President
needs this authority to complete negotiations in the World Trade
Organization (WTO) and Organization for Economic Cooperation and
Development. Fast track is necessary to…
Backgrounder posted May 16, 1997 by John Sweeney
NAFTA'S Three- Year Report Card: An "A" For North America's Economy
Introduction
President Bill Clinton is legally required to provide Congress
with a detailed "report card" by July 1, 1997, covering the first
three years of implementation of the North American Free Trade
Agreement (NAFTA), which includes the United States, Mexico, and
Canada. This report will come under intense congressional scrutiny
because many Members of…
Backgrounder posted March 6, 1996 by John Sweeney
Fulfilling the Promise of NAFTA: A New Strategy For U.S.-MexicanRelations
INTRODUCTION
The Clinton Administration has
lost sight of America's vital interests in the Western Hemisphere.
With both eyes focused firmly on domestic U.S. politics, the
Administration has dropped trade expansion from its Latin American
policy agenda while adopting a more aggressive stance not only
against illegal immigration from Mexico, but against…
FYI posted February 29, 1996 by John Sweeney
The U.S. Response to Castro's Agression: Tightening the Embargo is Not Enough
(Archived document, may contain errors) No. 88 February 29, 1996 THE US. RESPONSE TO CASTR09S AGGRESSION: TIGHTENING THE EMBARGO IS NOT ENOUGH By John Sweeney Policy Analyst The destruction by Cuban MIGs of two U.S.-registered civilian aircraft flying over international waters in the Florida Straits on February 24, 1996, proves once again that Fidel Castro will never…
Backgrounder Update posted February 13, 1995 by John Sweeney
Don't Blame NAFTA for the Mexican Crisis
(Archived document, may contain errors)
2/13/95 239
DON'T BLAME NAFTA FOR THE MEXICAN CRISIS
(Updating Backgrounder No. 1016, "The Bailout of Mexico: A Costly Mistake?" January 25, 1995.) The economic crisis in Mexico has been blamed by some on the North American Free Trade Agree- ment (NAFTA). "We went into partnership with an unworthy lpartner," says…