Congressional
Lobby Kit To Stop CAFTA
Contents:
I. Differing
forms of Congressional Pressure
II. Community Education and Outreach
III. Congressional Visit "How
To" Kit
a.
Setting Up the Meeting
b.
Getting Prepared
c.
Conducting the Meeting
d.
Follow Up
IV. Timeline
V. Sample Letters
I. Differing Forms of Congressional
Pressure
Congressional pressure will
play a critical role in whether or not we defeat
CAFTA. Sometimes, all that is needed to convince
a Representative to take a stand is to ask (subtly
demand) that s/he do so; at other times we must
force him/her to do so through grassroots political
pressure. In this instance, there will be very
strong pressure from groups that support this
treaty. Even if your representative has voted
against past trade agreements and claims that
s/he will vote against other free trade legislation
in the future, it is still vital to maintain
political pressure. By maintaining such pressure
we send our representatives a clear message:
your constituents do not want CAFTA, there is
no room for a change of heart.
There are many different ways
to express to our Representatives our opposition
to CAFTA and demands for just trade alternatives.
Among the most widely used tactics are:
· Congressional Visits
(most effective!)
· Writing letters
· emails/postcards
· Making Phone calls
In this packet we have given
you the resources to set up a meeting with your
representative, write her a letter, or call
her. Obviously, the more constituents a representative
hears from, the better.
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II.
Community Education and Outreach
It is important to involve as many members from
your community as you can. Please, use what
you learn in this packet to engage with those
around you about the subjects of free trade,
fair trade, and US foreign policy. Here are
a few ideas for educating your community about
CAFTA and promoting action:
1.
Hold a "fair trade" sale, with fair
trade coffee and other products at your church
or school. Check with Transfair USA (https://www.transfairusa.org/)
for list of certified fair trade distributors.
2.
Show the video "Trading Democracy"
by Bill Moyers at your church, school …
"Trading Democracy" highlights NAFTA's
investors' rights provisions which protect cooperate
profit while undercutting local environmental
and labor laws. Available at: http://www.citizen.org/trade/nafta/CH_11/articles.cfm?ID=6687
Or read or watch it on line at: http://www.pbs.org/now/transcript/transcript_tdfull.html
3.
Organize a CAFTA workshop. Ask SHARE for
suggested speakers or do it yourself—user
friendly materials, designed for first time
presenters are available in English and Spanish
from United for Fair Economy (www.ufenet.org).
4.
Create a signature sheet You can staple
a signature sheet to the sample letter below
to have members of your community sign on to
it.
5.
Collaborate with other concerned groups in your
area. SHARE is a member of the Stop CAFTA
Coalition. The Stop CAFTA Coalition is comprised
of, among others, the Quixote Center, NISGUA,
CISPES, The SHARE Foundation, US El Salvador
Sister Cities, Witness for Peace, and the Nicaragua
Network. Visit www.stopcafta.org for a list
of actions in your area, local resources, or
to post your own event.
If
you call us at the SHARE DC Office, at (202)
319-5542, we would be happy to help you with
any other ideas you might have. Also, if you
find other effective ways of connecting with
your community, be sure to let us know about
them so that we can pass the ideas on to other
groups. Good luck!
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III.
Congressional Visit "How To" Kit
A.
Setting Up the Meeting
Call
the District Office _ When you call your
legislator's office, ask to speak with the person
who handles the legislator's schedule. Tell
the scheduler the date and time you would like
to meet with your legislator (be flexible) and
the general topics you wish to discuss. For
visits to the Local Office, seek appointments
during congressional recess periods (listed
in section IV) when your Member returns to your
district. Let the scheduler know that the meeting
should take no longer than one hour. If there
is more than one person attending the meeting,
let the scheduler know their names and affiliations.
If someone in your group knows the legislator
personally or professionally, make sure that
the scheduler is aware of the relationship.
Congressional
visits in Washington DC _ Remember that
most legislative business occurs Tuesday through
Thursday and that the closing days of a session
are extra busy. When you arrive in Washington,
call the Member's office to confirm your appointment.
Be
persistent _ The objective of this initial
contact is to secure a time and date to meet
with your representative. Be persistent yet
polite, and make it clear that YOU, the Member's
constituent, are the most important person (s)he
will ever listen to. Lots of times it can be
hard to get a meeting, but persistence will
generally be rewarded with a meeting with your
representative.
Meet
with somebody _ If your Member of
Congress can't meet with you, visit the staff
member who works on the issues that most concern
you. For most issues relating to Central America
and CAFTA, you will want to meet with the foreign
policy and trade staffers. Usually that person
will be based in Washington DC, but there will
also be an aide in the local office who can
meet with you. Try to meet with the highest
ranking aide possible in the local office, i.e.:
the Senior Aide.
Confirm
your appointment _ After you schedule a
meeting, send a confirmation letter that includes
a list of those who will attend the meeting.
B.
Preparing for the Meeting
Research
your representative _ You
can use the Congressional Directory: www.congress.org,
www.house.gov,www.senate.gov.
Just
punch in your zip code and the site provides
you with contact information and a web page
for your Member of Congress. You will be able
to find biographical information, committee
and subcommittee assignments, and key issues
of concern for your Member. Review your legislator's
voting record and any publicly stated views
or opinions. The Stop
CAFTA website can provide trade related
voting histories.
Determine
your agenda and goals for the meeting _ Coalition
members should meet before the meeting with
the Member in order to determine the agenda
and delegate agenda items to be raised. Have
different people cover different issues, but
have one person act as a facilitator for the
discussion and deliver the bulk of your message.
Bring
it all back home _ All legislators supposedly
want to improve the economy and quality of life
in their district/state. It is your job to convince
them that free trade agreements such as CAFTA
have negative impacts on working people in all
the signing countries, including people in their
own congressional district.
Make
sure everyone in your group is prepared
_ Be certain everyone agrees on the central
message and what will be asked of the legislator.
This way you will avoid a possible internal
debate in front of your legislator. Don't feel
that you have to be an expert. Most representatives
of Congress are generalists. Be open to counter-arguments,
but don't get stuck on them. If you don't know
the answer to a question, say so. Nothing is
worse than being caught in a lie or inaccuracy.
Offer to look into the question and get back
to the Member (this is also an excellent opportunity
to stay in touch).
Prepare
an information packet to leave with your legislator
_ This should include information on your organization
including the group`s contact information, as
well as a description of your objectives. You
should also leave a business card with the receptionist.
C.
Conducting the Meeting
Be
on time, listen well, and don't stay too long
_ Be on time!
Introduce yourself and say what issues and legislation
you want to discuss. However, make sure that
all introductions are kept brief allowing more
time for conversation with the representative.
Listen well! You will hear occasional indications
of your representative's actual views, and you
should take those opportunities to provide good
information.
Don't
stay too long! Try to get closure on the
issues you discuss but leave room to continue
the discussion at another time.
Build
the relationship _ If your representative
has supported your coalition's positions in
the past, be sure to thank him/her; if the opposite
is true, consider that your visit may prevent
more active opposition in the future, and perhaps
even result in a surprising good vote on an
important issue.
Remember:
This meeting shouldn't be an end in itself.
Think of it as the beginning of a relationship
with your representative that will allow you
to voice your opinion on topics in the future.
With this in mind, make sure the relationship
you build is a positive one, based on respect.
Try not to be hostile.
Take
notes _ Make sure someone in your group
takes notes on what is said during the meeting.
However, don't use any recording devices. These
notes should be circulated to the entire group
after the meeting, as well as shared with others.
Ask his or her position _ How will s/he
vote? Do party leaders have positions on the
issue? What is their influence likely to be?
Is the office hearing from opponents? If so,
what are their arguments and what groups are
involved? Does the Member know any other key
House Members or Senators who should be contacted
to get favorable action on the bill? Is s/he
willing to facilitate contact?
Ask
for specific action _ Always ask for specific
actions; always get a specific commitment and
then follow up. No matter how supportive or
unsupportive your legislator is, there is always
a next step. Call into your organization's central
office, or visit the Stop CAFTA website to find
out what specific action should be sought at
the time of your meeting.
Provide
Affirmation Where Possible _ Look for areas
of agreement and affirm them. Convey your appreciation
for positive steps, no matter how small. Keep
written records of meetings. Take notes for
use in future contacts. What did you request?
What was the response? What was promised? What
are the chief areas of interest?
Thank
your representative _ Always begin your
meeting by thanking your legislator for taking
the time to visit with you. If your legislator
has been supportive of our stance on free trade
and social and economic justice, you should
thank him/her for his/her support as well.
D.
Follow up
Send
thank you notes after the meeting to the representative,
staff, or receptionist, and if commitments were
made during the meeting, repeat your understanding
of them.
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IV.
TIMELINE
The
official process of consideration for CAFTA
began on February 20, with President Bush declaring
an “intent to sign.” He subsequently
submitted a report on the agreement to Congress.
After Congress has had 90 days to familiarize
itself with the accord, the Administration can
sign it. President Bush is expected to sign
CAFTA around May 20, 2004. Once the President
has signed the agreement, he can send the “implementing
legislation” to Congress at his discretion.
However, once the implementing legislation has
been submitted, Congress has a maximum of 60
days to give it a yes or no vote. So on the
fastest probably time-line, Congress could vote
on CAFTA at the end of July, though the President
may wait until after the elections to submit
the implementing legislation.
Because CAFTA’s influential supporters
have already begun campaigning, we believe that
to effectively contest the agreement opposition
must be raised and come to a point by late April.
The House of Representatives will be the main
battle-ground for this legislation, so we have
decided to concentrate our efforts there. However,
we encourage you to meet with any and all of
your representatives, including Senators.
Below
is a Congressional calendar, which lets you
know when your representative will be in his/her
Local Office. It is important that you act now
to reserve a meeting during these brief windows.
When possible, we also encourage visits to representative’s
Washington, DC Offices.
Congressional District Work Periods:
-
April 14-25 Spring District Work Period
-
May 26-30 Memorial Day District Work Period
-
June 30-July 4 Independence Day District Work
Period
-
July 28 – September 2 Summer District
Work Period
The
above information about conducting a congressional
visit was provided by:
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V.
SAMPLE MATERIALS
To download a PRINTABLE copy
of these materials go to:
Sample
Letter to your Congressperson
[Your Local Coalition Name and Address Here,
e.g., Local Fair Trade Coalition, etc.]
[Office of Representative ______]
[District Office Address]
[City, State, Zip]
Month & Date, 2004
Dear Congressman _______________________,
I am writing to you out of great concern about
the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA).
This agreement will be presented to you for
an up or down vote (Fast Track) this coming
fall during a lame duck session or in early
2005. Undeniably trade between nations is good.
It is the terms of this agreement that I question.
The US Trade Representative Robert Zoellick
tells us that free trade with Central America
is the road to development in that region, and
a boon to economic growth in our own country,
the United States. This sounds like a winning
policy. But the people who will be most affected
by this treaty (small farmers, small business
owners, union workers, and poor women) have
a very different take. Before you vote on this
trade agreement consider the following questions
and arguments and tell me where you stand.
Can trade between unequal
partners be fair?
The US has the advantage of years of industrialization
and productive growth, not to mention billions
of dollars worth of agricultural and industrial
subsidies. In contrast, the agriculturally based
Central American nations are still working with
oxen pulled plows. Trade liberalization in Central
America has been proceeding piecemeal over the
past decade, and the results have not been encouraging.
Trade growth has failed to produce a reduction
in poverty, faster economic growth, or increased
democratization. Instead, it has brought rising
levels of impoverishment, criminal violence,
social and political instability and a hollowing
out of democracy.
Is NAFTA a good model?
NAFTA, the forefather of CAFTA, has meant increased
trade for Mexico; in fact, commerce in Mexico
has more than tripled since 1994. However, in
Mexico increased trade has not meant real economic
growth. Poverty has increased from 50.9% in
1994 to 58.4% in 2001. And while economic reports
show that productivity is up, wages are down
by about 21%. In the rural sector, the official
number of unoccupied workers quadrupled between
1993 and 2000, growing to over 2.5 million workers.
This statistic doesn’t reflect the 1.8
million workers who abandoned the rural sector
altogether during this period. The same story
is being told for small farmers in the US, who
are unable to compete with the monopolizing
force of subsidized agri-business. If NAFTA
is our model, we can predict that Central America
will be a big loser.
What is the cost of mass
migration from South to North?
Last year 300,000 - 400,000 Central Americans
fled north towards the US. They come because
they can’t earn enough to eat in their
own countries. Some experts even suggest that
the Central American governments are encouraging
this movement North in hopes of swelling their
national income with US dollars loyally sent
back as remittances to family members. CAFTA
will unquestionably increase the number of Central
American workers who take flight to the US.
As you know, the risks and challenges of this
forced migration are great for both the immigrants
and the US cities that receive them.
Do unequal labor laws and
low wages lead to a race to the bottom?
Since NAFTA we have seen millions of jobs flow
from North to South as businesses seek cheaper
labor. But lower wages is not the only incentive.
Foreign investment is also taking advantage
of weak labor laws, enforcement procedures,
and local opposition to unionizing. To protect
workers on both sides of the border, any trade
agreement must include parity of enforcement
for all labor laws.
Has there been true representation
at the negotiating table or is it heavily weighted
towards large-scale business interests?
Genuine input and participation in the negotiations
by civil society groups in the U.S. and the
five Central American countries was non-existent.
At the same time, the U.S. Business Roundtable
and financial elites in Central America had
constant access to their governments’
negotiation teams and trade ministers. The negotiations
were defined by a complete lack of transparency;
not only have negotiators kept the most controversial
information from the public, but also from the
members of the Congressional Oversight Group
(COG) for CAFTA. This process has been antithetical
to democracy.
There is too much at stake. CAFTA will devastate
the Central American rural sector, cause mass
unemployment in the region, and increase the
gap between the rich and poor. It will also
result in the further marginalization of the
small American farmer, encourage industries
to take their jobs to countries that fail at
the most base levels of labor regulation, and
create even greater stresses on the American
infrastructure as growing numbers of immigrants
are pushed north from Central America.
For these reasons, I implore you to vote No
on CAFTA.
Sincerely,
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SAMPLE
CONGRESSIONAL OFFICE VISIT SCHEDULING LETTER
FOR OLD MEMBERS
[Thanks
to Citizen's Trade Campaign]
[Your
Local Coalition Name and Address Here,
e.g.,
Local Fair Trade Coalition, etc.]
[District Office Scheduler]
[Office
of Representative ______]
[District
Office Address]
[City,
State, Zip]
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Month
& Date, 2004
Dear
[Name of Scheduler]:
On
behalf of the [local coalition's name] I would
like to request a meeting to discuss the Representative's
perspectives and positions — and the concerns
of this coalition _ relating to international
trade policy.
The
[XXX group] is [brief description including
a listing of coalition members].
We
are eager to sit down with the Congresswoman/man
as soon as possible to discuss the impacts of
trade and investment treaties upon this congressional
district, as well as nationally and internationally.
In particular we would like to discuss issues
relating to the current negotiations for a Central
American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA). As concerned
citizens and voters, we are eager to discuss
Representative ______'s positions on these issues
and look forward to working with him/her.
The
meeting should last no longer than one hour.
Participants
in the meeting will include [list participants].
I look forward to hearing from you at your earliest
convenience. If you have any questions or comments
feel free to contact me at [local contact information
here].
Thank
you for your consideration.
Very
truly yours,
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SAMPLE
CONGRESSIONAL OFFICE VISIT SCHEDULING LETTER
FOR NEW MEMBERS
[Thanks
to Citizen's Trade Campaign]
[Your
Local Coalition Name and Address Here,
e.g.,
Local Fair Trade Coalition, etc.]
[District Office Scheduler]
[Office
of Representative ______]
[District
Office Address]
[City,
State, Zip]
Month
& Date, 2004
Dear
[Name of Scheduler]:
On
behalf of the [local coalition's name], I would
like to take this opportunity to congratulate
Representative _______________ on His/Her election
to Congress. Also, we would like to request
a meeting to discuss the Representative's perspectives
and positions — and the concerns of this
coalition _ relating to international trade
policy.
The
[XXX group] is [brief description including
a listing of coalition members].
We
are eager to sit down with the Congresswoman/man
as soon as possible to discuss the impacts of
trade and investment treaties upon this congressional
district, as well as nationally and internationally.
In particular we would like to discuss issues
relating to the current negotiations for a Central
American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA). As concerned
citizens and voters, we are eager to discuss
Representative ______'s positions on these issues
and look forward to working with him/her.
The
meeting should last no longer than one hour.
Participants in the meeting will include [list
participants].
On
behalf of the [name of coalition], I would again
like to congratulate the Representative on his/her
election, and look forward to hearing from you
at your earliest convenience. If you have any
questions or comments feel free to contact me
at [local contact information here].
Thank
you for your consideration.
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