The House will likely vote on CAFTA Wednesday or Thursday of next week.
Following is some information about how codex regulations are mentioned in cafta, and how American dietary supplements may be next to fall under the rubrick of codex alimentarius:
article from congressman ron paul regarding codex and cafta
CAFTA and Dietary Supplements
July 18, 2005
The House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on the Central American Free Trade Agreement in the next two weeks, and one little-known provision of the agreement desperately needs to be exposed to public view. CAFTA, like the World Trade Organization, may serve as a forum for restricting or even banning dietary supplements in the U.S.
The Codex Alimentarius Commission, organized by the United Nations in the 1960s, is charged with ?harmonizing? food and supplement rules between all nations of the world. Under Codex rules, even basic vitamins and minerals require a doctor?s prescription. The European Union already has adopted Codex-type regulations, regulations that will be in effect across Europe later this year. This raises concerns that the Europeans will challenge our relatively open market for health supplements in a WTO forum. This is hardly far-fetched, as Congress already has cravenly changed our tax laws to comply with a WTO order.
Like WTO, CAFTA increases the possibility that Codex regulations will be imposed on the American public. Section 6 of CAFTA discusses Codex as a regulatory standard for nations that join the agreement. If CAFTA has nothing to do with dietary supplements, as CAFTA supporters claim, why in the world does it specifically mention Codex?
Unquestionably there has been a slow but sustained effort to regulate dietary supplements on an international level. WTO and CAFTA are part of this effort. Passage of CAFTA does not mean your supplements will be outlawed immediately, but it will mean that another international trade body will have a say over whether American supplement regulations meet international standards. And make no mistake about it, those international standards are moving steadily toward the Codex regime and its draconian restrictions on health freedom. So the question is this: Does CAFTA, with its link to Codex, make it more likely or less likely that someday you will need a doctor?s prescription to buy even simple supplements like Vitamin C? The answer is clear. CAFTA means less freedom for you, and more control for bureaucrats who do not answer to American voters.
Pharmaceutical companies have spent billions of dollars trying to get Washington to regulate your dietary supplements like European governments do. So far, that effort has failed in America, in part because of a 1994 law called the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act. Big Pharma and the medical establishment hate this Act, because it allows consumers some measure of freedom to buy the supplements they want. Americans like this freedom, however-- especially the health conscious Baby Boomers.
This is why the drug companies support WTO and CAFTA. They see international trade agreements as a way to do an end run around American law and restrict supplements through international regulations.
The largely government-run health care establishment, including the nominally private pharmaceutical companies, want government to control the dietary supplement industry-- so that only they can manufacture and distribute supplements. If that happens, as it already is happening in Europe, the supplements you now take will be available only by prescription and at a much higher cost-- if they are available at all. This alone is sufficient reason for Congress to oppose the unconstitutional, sovereignty-destroying CAFTA bill.
_____________________________________________________________
documentary with judy dench and mel gibson's commercial about this issue (save to drive, its slow):
windows media - 180MB or
quicktime - 76MB
______________________________________________________________
liberty committee update, see how your reps are voting, and how to contact them:
Action Alert: CAFTA vote count
July 21, 2005
"With just two weeks to go until the August recess, Republican House leaders are possibly facing do-or-die time for the Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA). The Republican whip operation is running at full throttle, making deals on China policy and textile production at a fast clip in the hopes of wooing just enough members off the fence to pass the pivotal trade pact." (The Hill newspaper, July 20, 2005)
Yes, time is running out. Closed-door deals are being made. Arms are being twisted. Pressure builds as not-so-subtle taxpayer-funded bribes are offered.
"At a closed-door meeting of House Republicans yesterday, Rep. Bill Thomas (Calif.)
sidled up to the lectern and hinted that the leadership might look more favorably on
lawmakers? requests for highways and bridges if they vote for the Central American
Free Trade Agreement, according to three GOP witnesses." <a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/20/AR2005072002078.html">(The Washington Post,
July 21, 2005)</a>
In other words, "Want that highway project back home? You had better vote for CAFTA. Want that new bridge? You had better vote for CAFTA even though you know it is bad for America."
One of the first House members to be bought off was Congressman Phil English (R-Penn.). Mr. English had always opposed CAFTA, but just a few days ago he sold out. He now says he is "comfortable" voting for CAFTA. This puts the pro-CAFTA forces one critical vote closer to having the 218 votes they need to pass it in the U.S. House.
What's the vote count? According to Congress Daily, 105 House members will vote "yes" or are leaning to vote "yes" on CAFTA with 166 members who will vote "no" or are leaning to vote "no." That leaves 163 House members who are undecided or aren't saying. To stop CAFTA, we must convince at least 53 of those 163 members to vote against CAFTA.
The House will likely vote on CAFTA Wednesday or Thursday of next week. The vote will be extremely close -- just like the vote was on the Medicare prescription-drug bill where House leaders were willing to resort to bribes and out-right threats to win.
"According to the administration and House aides, the White House has authorized
Republican leaders to secure votes with whatever is at hand, from amendments [read pork-barrel projects in their respective districts] to the highway and energy bills to the still incomplete appropriations bills." (The Washington Post, July 21, 2005)
So, between now and next week, the pro-CAFTA forces are working overtime. Deals are being made on highway projects, bridges, committee chairmanships, rides on Air Force One, dinners at the White House, campaign contributions, and countless pork projects that have nothing whatsoever to do with CAFTA or true free trade.
Faced with all this, what can we do? Representatives who change their vote to support CAFTA in return for the promise of pork-barrel projects in their district or rides on Air Force One think they will impress the voters back home by "bringing home the bacon." You are that voter back home. It's up to you. Are you impressed Only hearing from you can convince your representative that politics as usual won?t work this time. In fact, it stinks.
Will you let your representative know there will be a price to pay for selling out? You
do that when you contact his office and let him know you are informed and watching.
That?s the only language most of our elected officials seem to understand.
And that's why what you do right now is so important.
Do you want to know where your U.S. representative stands on CAFTA? Check the
recent Congress Daily vote check posted at http://www.thelibertycommittee.org/caftavotecount.htm .
Now take action. If your representative is against CAFTA, tell him "thank you, don't
bend under pressure, I support you!" If he is for CAFTA, urge him to change his
mind -- it is important you make it clear that you oppose CAFTA.
If your representative is undecided, convince him to vote against it and tell him no matter what payoff he might be offered, there is nothing worth the damage CAFTA
will do to America.
CAFTA can be defeated in the U.S. House next week, but you must act. More than
ever, what you do matters.
Send an E-mail message to your U.S. representative by going to http://capwiz.com/liberty/issues/alert/?alertid=7860311&type=CO .
Then call your U.S. representative. The U.S. Capitol switchboard phone number is
202-224-3121 or use our directory at http://capwiz.com/liberty/dbq/officials/ .
Also, please spread the word. Share a copy of this message by forwarding this
message.
Thank you for your help!
Kent Snyder
The Liberty Committee
Following is some information about how codex regulations are mentioned in cafta, and how American dietary supplements may be next to fall under the rubrick of codex alimentarius:
article from congressman ron paul regarding codex and cafta
CAFTA and Dietary Supplements
July 18, 2005
The House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on the Central American Free Trade Agreement in the next two weeks, and one little-known provision of the agreement desperately needs to be exposed to public view. CAFTA, like the World Trade Organization, may serve as a forum for restricting or even banning dietary supplements in the U.S.
The Codex Alimentarius Commission, organized by the United Nations in the 1960s, is charged with ?harmonizing? food and supplement rules between all nations of the world. Under Codex rules, even basic vitamins and minerals require a doctor?s prescription. The European Union already has adopted Codex-type regulations, regulations that will be in effect across Europe later this year. This raises concerns that the Europeans will challenge our relatively open market for health supplements in a WTO forum. This is hardly far-fetched, as Congress already has cravenly changed our tax laws to comply with a WTO order.
Like WTO, CAFTA increases the possibility that Codex regulations will be imposed on the American public. Section 6 of CAFTA discusses Codex as a regulatory standard for nations that join the agreement. If CAFTA has nothing to do with dietary supplements, as CAFTA supporters claim, why in the world does it specifically mention Codex?
Unquestionably there has been a slow but sustained effort to regulate dietary supplements on an international level. WTO and CAFTA are part of this effort. Passage of CAFTA does not mean your supplements will be outlawed immediately, but it will mean that another international trade body will have a say over whether American supplement regulations meet international standards. And make no mistake about it, those international standards are moving steadily toward the Codex regime and its draconian restrictions on health freedom. So the question is this: Does CAFTA, with its link to Codex, make it more likely or less likely that someday you will need a doctor?s prescription to buy even simple supplements like Vitamin C? The answer is clear. CAFTA means less freedom for you, and more control for bureaucrats who do not answer to American voters.
Pharmaceutical companies have spent billions of dollars trying to get Washington to regulate your dietary supplements like European governments do. So far, that effort has failed in America, in part because of a 1994 law called the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act. Big Pharma and the medical establishment hate this Act, because it allows consumers some measure of freedom to buy the supplements they want. Americans like this freedom, however-- especially the health conscious Baby Boomers.
This is why the drug companies support WTO and CAFTA. They see international trade agreements as a way to do an end run around American law and restrict supplements through international regulations.
The largely government-run health care establishment, including the nominally private pharmaceutical companies, want government to control the dietary supplement industry-- so that only they can manufacture and distribute supplements. If that happens, as it already is happening in Europe, the supplements you now take will be available only by prescription and at a much higher cost-- if they are available at all. This alone is sufficient reason for Congress to oppose the unconstitutional, sovereignty-destroying CAFTA bill.
_____________________________________________________________
documentary with judy dench and mel gibson's commercial about this issue (save to drive, its slow):
windows media - 180MB or
quicktime - 76MB
______________________________________________________________
liberty committee update, see how your reps are voting, and how to contact them:
Action Alert: CAFTA vote count
July 21, 2005
"With just two weeks to go until the August recess, Republican House leaders are possibly facing do-or-die time for the Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA). The Republican whip operation is running at full throttle, making deals on China policy and textile production at a fast clip in the hopes of wooing just enough members off the fence to pass the pivotal trade pact." (The Hill newspaper, July 20, 2005)
Yes, time is running out. Closed-door deals are being made. Arms are being twisted. Pressure builds as not-so-subtle taxpayer-funded bribes are offered.
"At a closed-door meeting of House Republicans yesterday, Rep. Bill Thomas (Calif.)
sidled up to the lectern and hinted that the leadership might look more favorably on
lawmakers? requests for highways and bridges if they vote for the Central American
Free Trade Agreement, according to three GOP witnesses." <a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/20/AR2005072002078.html">(The Washington Post,
July 21, 2005)</a>
In other words, "Want that highway project back home? You had better vote for CAFTA. Want that new bridge? You had better vote for CAFTA even though you know it is bad for America."
One of the first House members to be bought off was Congressman Phil English (R-Penn.). Mr. English had always opposed CAFTA, but just a few days ago he sold out. He now says he is "comfortable" voting for CAFTA. This puts the pro-CAFTA forces one critical vote closer to having the 218 votes they need to pass it in the U.S. House.
What's the vote count? According to Congress Daily, 105 House members will vote "yes" or are leaning to vote "yes" on CAFTA with 166 members who will vote "no" or are leaning to vote "no." That leaves 163 House members who are undecided or aren't saying. To stop CAFTA, we must convince at least 53 of those 163 members to vote against CAFTA.
The House will likely vote on CAFTA Wednesday or Thursday of next week. The vote will be extremely close -- just like the vote was on the Medicare prescription-drug bill where House leaders were willing to resort to bribes and out-right threats to win.
"According to the administration and House aides, the White House has authorized
Republican leaders to secure votes with whatever is at hand, from amendments [read pork-barrel projects in their respective districts] to the highway and energy bills to the still incomplete appropriations bills." (The Washington Post, July 21, 2005)
So, between now and next week, the pro-CAFTA forces are working overtime. Deals are being made on highway projects, bridges, committee chairmanships, rides on Air Force One, dinners at the White House, campaign contributions, and countless pork projects that have nothing whatsoever to do with CAFTA or true free trade.
Faced with all this, what can we do? Representatives who change their vote to support CAFTA in return for the promise of pork-barrel projects in their district or rides on Air Force One think they will impress the voters back home by "bringing home the bacon." You are that voter back home. It's up to you. Are you impressed Only hearing from you can convince your representative that politics as usual won?t work this time. In fact, it stinks.
Will you let your representative know there will be a price to pay for selling out? You
do that when you contact his office and let him know you are informed and watching.
That?s the only language most of our elected officials seem to understand.
And that's why what you do right now is so important.
Do you want to know where your U.S. representative stands on CAFTA? Check the
recent Congress Daily vote check posted at http://www.thelibertycommittee.org/caftavotecount.htm .
Now take action. If your representative is against CAFTA, tell him "thank you, don't
bend under pressure, I support you!" If he is for CAFTA, urge him to change his
mind -- it is important you make it clear that you oppose CAFTA.
If your representative is undecided, convince him to vote against it and tell him no matter what payoff he might be offered, there is nothing worth the damage CAFTA
will do to America.
CAFTA can be defeated in the U.S. House next week, but you must act. More than
ever, what you do matters.
Send an E-mail message to your U.S. representative by going to http://capwiz.com/liberty/issues/alert/?alertid=7860311&type=CO .
Then call your U.S. representative. The U.S. Capitol switchboard phone number is
202-224-3121 or use our directory at http://capwiz.com/liberty/dbq/officials/ .
Also, please spread the word. Share a copy of this message by forwarding this
message.
Thank you for your help!
Kent Snyder
The Liberty Committee
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