US-Oman Free Trade Pact

[unlawflcombatnt]

Date: Tue, 18 Jul 2006 22:47:15 -0400

The Bush dictatorship is "working hard" at outsourcing even more jobs. Their latest American worker sellout comes in the form of the U.S-Oman Free Trade Pact. This deal, however, has even more harmful provisions than just the outsourcing of jobs. It will actually facilitate the foreign ownership of American ports and security assets, much the same as the Dubai Ports deal. In fact, it may enable Dubai Ports itself to accomplish what it was unable to do in the earlier Dubai Ports deal, by allowing them to set up a shell company in Oman. Regarding this "deal," David Sirota writes:

"REPORT: Oman Trade Pact Permits Foreign Ownership of U.S. Nat’l Security Assets

In an explosive report tonight, top House Democrats discovered provisions in the controversial Oman Free Trade Agreement that would permit foreign ownership of U.S. ports and other key national security assets. Three Democrats and one Republican held an emergency press conference today to expose the provisions just before the House is scheduled to vote on the Oman pact on Thursday. As Reuters reports in the story attached, "Rep. John Murtha, a Pennsylvania Democrat who serves on the House Defense Appropriations subcommittee, said the pact would allow companies such as Dubai Ports World to acquire U.S. port operations by establishing a shell company in Oman." Those provisions might also allow foreign ownership of other key national security assets, considering just after the recent Dubai Ports controversy, that country went ahead with plans to purchase a major U.S. defense contractor.

Last month, lawmakers from both parties in the U.S. Senate joined hands to pass the Oman Free Trade Agreement - a pact being pushed aggressively by the Bush administration and its largest corporate donors. Lawmakers ignored major labor, human rights and environmental objections to the pact put forward by more than 400 union, religious and consumer groups. Among those voting for the pact in the Senate were Mike DeWine (R-OH) and Joe Lieberman (D-CT), two Senators facing tough re-election bids who could face renewed criticism in their home states that they have sold out their constituents...."

Though the bill has already passed the Senate by a 60-34 vote, it has not been approved by the House. As David Sirota further writes:
"The House vote is expected to be much closer than the Senate vote, and the explosive news tonight puts a new level of pressure on congressional lawmakers of both parties not to sell out. To date, a number of Democratic lawmakers have yet to say how they will vote on the Oman pact. Corporate lobbyists are aggressively targeting the 15 Democrats who last year capitulated to Big Money's demands and backed the corporate-written Central American Free Trade Agreement. They are also targeting members of the New Democratic Coalition - the group of Democrats most closely affiliated with the Democratic Leadership Council.

This vote is going to be extremely close - and bought-off lawmakers are scrambling to hide and/or obscure the details of these national security provisions... regardless of the propaganda efforts, the upcoming vote will put House members on record not only on economic issues, but on national security issues. Are these lawmakers going to sell out America's national security? Or are they going to stand up to Big Money interests and say this trade deal and others like it are unacceptable?"

This article can be found at
Working For Change

unlawflcombatnt

EconomicPopulistCommentary

EconomicPatriotForum

___________
The economy needs balance between the "means of production" & "means of consumption."

[TomInTib]

1. This will backdate and rectify the Dubai Ports World contract.

It has been a done deal since Day !.

[unlawflcombatnt]

2. Rectify?

I'm not sure what you mean by "rectify." I think "rectal-ize" would describe it better.

It's definitely not a done deal. The House hasn't voted on it yet. And it's not too late for everyone to start writing their Congressional representatives.

unlawflcombatnt

EconomicPopulistCommentary

EconomicPatriotForum

___________
The economy needs balance between the "means of production" & "means of consumption."

[TomInTib]

4. rectify

rec·ti·fy ( P ) Pronunciation Key (rkt-f)
tr.v. rec·ti·fied, rec·ti·fy·ing, rec·ti·fies
To set right; correct.
To correct by calculation or adjustment.

It is a done deal. The House has no say.
DPW is operating the ports as we type.
There is no escape in the contract.
I cannot believe everyone swallowed this diversion swill.
They were already operating the ports when the shit hit the fan.
"US entity", my ass.

[welshTerrier2]

3. Hillary voted for this ... Kerry too ...

if i'm not mistaken ...

what were they possibly thinking?

[TomInTib]

5. Globalization. Better get used to it.

In a world where everything is for sale, it is political suicide to stand in the way of potential commerce and profit.

[unlawflcombatnt]

6. Senate Vote Results

Here's a list of how the Senate voted:

Oman Free Trade Pact- Senate Vote
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=109&session=2&vote=00190


U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 109th Congress - 2nd Session

as compiled through Senate LIS by the Senate Bill Clerk under the direction of the Secretary of the Senate


Vote Summary

Question: On Passage of the Bill (S.3569 )
Vote Number: 190 Vote Date: June 29, 2006, 03:29 PM
Required For Majority: 1/2 Vote Result: Bill Passed
Measure Number: S. 3569 (United States-Oman Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act )
Measure Title: A bill to implement the United States-Oman Free Trade Agreement.
Vote Counts: YEAs 60
NAYs 34
Not Voting 6



Grouped By Vote Position
YEAs ---60
Alexander (R-TN)
Allard (R-CO)
Allen (R-VA)
Baucus (D-MT)
Bennett (R-UT)
Bond (R-MO)
Brownback (R-KS)
Bunning (R-KY)
Burns (R-MT)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Chambliss (R-GA)
Clinton (D-NY)
Cochran (R-MS)
Coleman (R-MN)
Cornyn (R-TX)
Craig (R-ID)
Crapo (R-ID)
DeMint (R-SC)
DeWine (R-OH)
Domenici (R-NM)
Ensign (R-NV)
Enzi (R-WY)
Frist (R-TN)
Graham (R-SC)
Grassley (R-IA)
Hagel (R-NE)
Hatch (R-UT)
Hutchison (R-TX)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Isakson (R-GA)
Jeffords (I-VT)
Kerry (D-MA)
Kyl (R-AZ)
Landrieu (D-LA)
Lieberman (D-CT)
Lott (R-MS)
Lugar (R-IN)
Martinez (R-FL)
McCain (R-AZ)
McConnell (R-KY)
Murkowski (R-AK)
Nelson (D-FL)
Nelson (D-NE)
Obama (D-IL)
Pryor (D-AR)
Roberts (R-KS)
Salazar (D-CO)
Santorum (R-PA)
Sessions (R-AL)
Shelby (R-AL)
Smith (R-OR)
Specter (R-PA)
Stevens (R-AK)
Sununu (R-NH)
Talent (R-MO)
Thomas (R-WY)
Thune (R-SD)
Vitter (R-LA)
Voinovich (R-OH)
Warner (R-VA)

NAYs ---34
Akaka (D-HI)
Bayh (D-IN)
Biden (D-DE)
Bingaman (D-NM)
Burr (R-NC)
Byrd (D-WV)
Carper (D-DE)
Coburn (R-OK)
Collins (R-ME)
Conrad (D-ND)
Dayton (D-MN)
Dodd (D-CT)
Dole (R-NC)
Dorgan (D-ND)
Durbin (D-IL)
Feingold (D-WI)
Feinstein (D-CA)
Harkin (D-IA)
Inouye (D-HI)
Johnson (D-SD)
Kennedy (D-MA)
Kohl (D-WI)
Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Levin (D-MI)
Lincoln (D-AR)
Menendez (D-NJ)
Mikulski (D-MD)
Reed (D-RI)
Reid (D-NV)
Rockefeller (D-WV)
Sarbanes (D-MD)
Schumer (D-NY)
Snowe (R-ME)
Wyden (D-OR)

Not Voting - 6
Boxer (D-CA)
Chafee (R-RI)
Gregg (R-NH)
Leahy (D-VT)
Murray (D-WA)
Stabenow (D-MI)

[unlawflcombatnt]

7. CRS Summary -- S. 3569

Below is a link and a copy of the Thomas CRS summary of the U.S.-Oman Free Trade Bill (S. 3569)

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d109:SN03569:@@@D&summ2=m&


"S.3569
Title: A bill to implement the United States-Oman Free Trade Agreement.
Sponsor: Sen Grassley, Chuck (by request) (introduced 6/26/2006) Cosponsors (1)
Related Bills: H.R.5684
Latest Major Action: 6/29/2006 Passed/agreed to in Senate. Status: Resolution agreed to in Senate without amendment by Yea-Nay Vote. 60 - 34. Record Vote Number: 190.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY AS OF:
6/29/2006--Passed Senate, without amendment. (There are 2 other summaries)

(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The expanded summary of the Senate reported version is repeated here.)

United States-Oman Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act - Title I: Approval of, and General Provisions Relating to, the Agreement - (Sec. 101) Approves the United States-Oman Free Trade Agreement entered into on January 19, 2006, with the government of Oman, and the statement of administrative action proposed to implement the Agreement, both submitted to Congress on June 26, 2006.

(Sec. 103) Authorizes the President to proclaim actions, and other appropriate officers of the U.S. government to issue regulations, necessary to ensure that any provision of this Act that takes effect on the date the Agreement enters into force is appropriately implemented.

(Sec. 104) Authorizes related presidential proclamations only if: (1) the President has obtained advice regarding the proposed action from the appropriate advisory committees and the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC); (2) the President has reported to specified congressional committees with respect to such action; (3) a period of 60 days has expired; and (4) the President has consulted with the appropriate congressional committees during such 60-day period.

(Sec. 105) Authorizes the President to establish or designate within the Department of Commerce an office to provide administrative assistance to dispute settlement panels established under the Agreement. Authorizes appropriations.

(Sec. 106) Authorizes the United States to resolve any claim against it covered by the Agreement pursuant to the Investor-State Dispute Settlement procedures set forth in the Agreement.

Title II: Customs Provisions - (Sec. 201) Authorizes the President to proclaim necessary or appropriate modifications or continuation of duty, continuation of duty-free or excise treatment, or additional duties to carry out the Agreement.

Requires the President to terminate the designation of Oman as a beneficiary developing country for purposes of the Trade Act of 1974 on the date the Agreement enters into force.

Allows the President to substitute for the base rate an ad valorem rate deemed equivalent to the base rate with respect to any good for which such rate in the Agreement is a specific or compound rate of duty.

(Sec. 202) Prescribes rules of origin with respect to the reduction and elimination of duties imposed by the United States and Oman on goods imported directly from Oman or the United States into the other country's territory. Specifies content requirements allowing certain textile and apparel goods to be considered originating goods.

Authorizes the President to proclaim, as part of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States, certain provisions in the Agreement (including modifications) and any additional subordinate category that is necessary to carry out this title, consistent with the Agreement.

(Sec. 203) Amends the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 to prohibit the charge of a fee for certain customs services with respect to goods imported from, and originating in, Oman. Prohibits any service exempted from such fees from being funded with money from the Customs User Fee Account.

(Sec. 204) Authorizes the President to direct the Secretary of the Treasury, during the period of a verification procedure by the Oman government requested by the Secretary, to determine: (1) the compliance of an exporter or producer in Oman with applicable customs laws, regulations, procedures, requirements, or practices affecting trade in textile or apparel goods; or (2) the accuracy of a claim that a good exported or produced by the exporter or producer qualifies as an originating good, or is a good of Oman.

Authorizes the President to require the Secretary to suspend liquidation of the entry of any textile or apparel good: (1) subject to compliance verification if the verification was based on a reasonable suspicion of unlawful activity related to the good; or (2) for which an accuracy claim has been made about its origin.

Authorizes the President to direct the Secretary, if the information obtained is insufficient for a verification determination, to: (1) publish the name and address of the person that is the subject of the verification; (2) deny preferential tariff treatment under the Agreement to any textile or apparel good exported or produced by such person or that is the subject of a claim for verification of origin; and (3) deny entry of such goods into the United States.

(Sec. 205) Amends the Tariff Act of 1930 to authorize the Customs Service to reliquidate an entry and refund any excess duties (including merchandise processing fees) paid on a good qualifying under the rules of origin for which no claim for preferential treatment was made at the time of importation if the importer takes certain actions within one year after such importation.

Title III: Relief From Imports - Subtitle A: Relief From Imports Benefiting From the Agreement - (Sec. 311) Authorizes an entity (including a trade association, firm, certified or recognized union, or group of workers) to petition the ITC for an adjustment to U.S. obligations under the Agreement. Requires the ITC, upon the filing of a petition, to investigate promptly whether, as a result of the reduction or elimination of a duty provided for under the Agreement, an Omani article is being imported into the United States in such increased quantities as to be a substantial cause or threat of serious injury to the domestic industry producing an article like, or directly competitive with, the imported article. Exempts from such an investigation any Omani articles already subject to import relief under the Agreement.

(Sec. 313) Requires the President, after receiving an affirmative injury determination from the ITC, to provide certain three-year import relief to remedy or prevent such injury, and to facilitate efforts of the domestic industry to make a positive adjustment to import competition. Includes among such relief measures: (1) suspension of any further reduction provided by the Agreement in the duty imposed on such article; and (2) an increase in the rate of such duty to a level that does not exceed an amount determined according to a specified formula.

(Sec. 314) Prohibits any import relief 10 years after the Agreement enters into force, except for articles about which Oman has consented to such relief.

(Sec. 315) Applies to the three-year import relief provided by the President the compensation authority of the Trade Act of 1974, which authorizes the President to grant Oman new concessions as compensation for the imposition of import relief in a bilateral safeguard investigation in order to maintain the general level of reciprocal concessions under the Agreement.

(Sec. 316) Amends the Trade Act of 1974 to apply to ITC investigations conducted under this Act the procedural requirements of the Tariff Act of 1930 concerning release of confidential business information.

Subtitle B: Textile and Apparel Safeguard Measures - (Sec. 321) Authorizes an interested party to request the President to adjust U.S. obligations under the Agreement. Requires the President, pursuant to such a request, to determine whether, as a result of the reduction or elimination of a duty under the Agreement, an Omani textile or apparel article is being imported into the United States in such increased quantities as to constitute a substantial cause or threat of serious damage to a domestic industry producing an article like, or directly competitive with, the imported article.

(Sec. 322) Authorizes the President, if an affirmative serious damage determination is made, to provide certain import relief to remedy or prevent the damage, and to facilitate adjustment by the domestic industry to import competition, including increasing the rate of duty to a level that does not exceed an amount determined according to a specified formula.

(Sec. 323) Limits such relief to three years.

(Sec. 326) Prohibits any import relief under this subtitle with respect to any article 10 years after the Agreement enters into force.

(Sec. 327) Applies to any import relief provided by the President under this subtitle the compensation authority of the Trade Act of 1974, which authorizes the President to grant Oman new concessions as compensation for the imposition of import relief in a textile and apparel safeguard proceeding, in order to maintain the general level of reciprocal concessions under the Agreement.

(Sec. 328) Prohibits the President from releasing confidential business information received in connection with a review under this subtitle unless the submitting party had notice, at the time of submission, that such information would be released, or the party subsequently consents to such release. Requires any party submitting such confidential business information also to provide a nonconfidential version of the information, in which the confidential business information is summarized or, if necessary, deleted.

Title IV: Procurement - (Sec. 401) Amends the Trade Agreements Act of 1979 to make products or services of any foreign country or instrumentality that is a party to the Agreement eligible for U.S. government procurement."

unlawflcombatnt

EconomicPopulistCommentary

EconomicPatriotForum

___________
The economy needs balance between the "means of production" & "means of consumption."

[unlawflcombatnt]

9. Passed by House 221 to 205

The US-Oman Free Trade Pact passed the House by a 221-205 margin. There were 22 slime-ball Democrats who voted for it, and thus voted against their constituents, middle class Americans and working Americans. Given that the margin of victory was only 16 votes, these turncoat Democrats turned the tide in favor of the Bush dictatorship.

The Dems who voted for it were Baird, Bean(OH), Boren, Case, Harman(CA), Jefferson(LA), Crowley, Cuellar, Davis(CA), Dicks, Edwards, Etheridge, Larsen(WA), Matheson, Meeks(NY), Moore(KS), Moran(VA), Skelton, Smith(WA), Snyder, Tanner, and Tauscher(CA).

It's also worth mentioning that, as usual, some Republicans voted against it and in favor of American workers. Both Ron Paul of Texas and Tom Tancredo of Colorado voted against it.

The link to the vote is at:
http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2006/roll392.xml

unlawflcombatnt

EconomicPopulistCommentary

EconomicPatriotForum

___________
The economy needs balance between the "means of production" & "means of consumption."

[AzDar]

8. kick.....n/t