Matheson courted on trade agreement

WASHINGTON — One advantage of being an undecided member of Congress with a close vote coming up is that you might get some personal attention from the White House.

That was certainly true for Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah, who was one of eight Democratic lawmakers invited to meet with President Bush on Thursday for a little friendly persuasion on CAFTA — the Central American and Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement now pending before Congress.

"I went in undecided, and I am still undecided at this point," Matheson said of the controversial trade agreement supported by the White House but in trouble in the Republican-controlled House. "The president had some good thoughts."

Matheson and the other Democrats were identified by the White House as congressmen who had generally voted in favor of free trade in the past but who remained on the fence with CAFTA.

Bush shared his own analysis that CAFTA would reduce the U.S. trade deficit and help U.S. producers, whose products now face stiff tariffs when traded to Central America. And CAFTA would boost the economies of young democracies, the president said.

The latter argument made a lot of sense, Matheson said.

"These are fledgling democracies in Central America that have made a lot of progress in the past 20 years," Matheson said. "Nicaragua has gone from Danny Ortega and the Sandinistas and is now a growing democracy. I can see where developing closer economic relations is good for the stability of that region."

But the other side of the equation is not so convincing, he said. He wants to know more about what the trade agreement would mean for U.S. workers and the U.S. economy.

"What is the true impact of the agreement to job movement and dollar movement?" he asked. "What does it mean for jobs in both areas, for worker rights in poorer countries?"

Bush used his weekly radio address this past weekend to hammer home the same points, asking the House and Senate to ratify the agreement.

"About 80 percent of products from Central America and the Dominican Republic now enter the United States duty-free," Bush said. "Yet, American exports to those countries face hefty tariffs. CAFTA will level the playing field by making about 80 percent of American exports to Central America and the Dominican Republic duty-free."

Bush said the agreement would lower barriers in key sectors such as textiles, which he said would make U.S. manufacturers more competitive in the global market.