Bee says Colombia trade deal won't cost Americans jobs

"Lowering tariffs for products in foreign countries aren't going to cost Americans jobs," said State Sen. Pres. Tim Bee (R-Tucson) during a conference call with reporters on Friday. He was joined by former Rep. Jim Kolbe, who held the seat Bee is running for until his retirement in 2006.

The overall aim of the call was to draw a contast between Sen. Bee and his opponent in the CD8 congressional contest, current seatholder Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. Giffords voted along with the majority of Democrats to deny a full House vote on the bill, claiming that she and her Democratic colleagues wanted more time to work in human rights and environmental provisions, and House Democrats, in explaining their vote, complained that the Bush administration sent the bill to Congress prematurely, before such compromises could be reached.

However, Kolbe claimed the move was purely obstructionist.

"10 Democrats voted against the procedural vote," said Kolbe. "That suggests to me that if this had been a clear vote on the agreement, it would have passed."

By voting to change the rules so that the House is no longer obligated to give the agreement an up-or-down vote within 90 days of receiving it - a countdown that began in March when the Bush administration sent it to Congress - the bill will likely not receive consideration again this session.

The Colombia Free Trade Agreement would eliminate over 80% of the tariffs on American imports going into Colombia, which is the fourth largest Latin American trade partner, while strengthening ties with the government of Colombian Pres. Alvaro Uribe, who has steadfastly supported U.S. anti-narcotics and anti-terrorist efforts in that country.

Bee said that instead the focus should be on "improving the education system in this country" in order to "remain on the cutting edge" of developing technologies, rather than holding up free trade deals that critics fear could cost American jobs.

Read the full text of Sen. Bee's remarks.