[Pages H4711-H4713]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

REAFFIRMING FRIENDSHIP AND ALLIANCE BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND
COLOMBIA

Ms. WATSON. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to
the resolution (H. Res. 1465) reaffirming the longstanding friendship
and alliance between the United States and Colombia.
The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
The text of the resolution is as follows:

H. Res. 1465

Whereas nearly 15,000,000 Colombians participated in the
first round of Colombia's presidential elections on May 30,
2010;
Whereas no candidate received an outright majority of the
vote, thereby requiring a runoff election between Juan Manuel
Santos and Antanas Mockus, the two candidates with the
highest vote totals;
Whereas Juan Manuel Santos, of the National Unity Party,
received 46.7 percent of the votes and Antanas Mockus, of the
Green Party, received 21.5 percent of the votes;
Whereas in the second round on June 20, 2010, Juan Manuel
Santos received 69 percent of the votes and was thereby
declared President-elect of Colombia;
Whereas Colombia has overcome tremendous challenges to
build their democracy; and
Whereas Colombia remains a vital ally and friend of the
United States: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) reaffirms the longstanding friendship and alliance
between the United States and Colombia;
(2) recognizes Colombia's commitment to the democratic
process as demonstrated by the free and fair nature of these
multiparty, internationally recognized elections; and
(3) congratulates President-elect Juan Manuel Santos on his
recent victory in Colombia's June 20, 2010, presidential
election.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from
California (Ms. Watson) and the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-
Lehtinen) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from California.

General Leave

Ms. WATSON. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and
include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from California?
There was no objection.

{time} 1340

Ms. WATSON. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of this
resolution, and I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, last month, Colombia held the first round of their
presidential elections. In an outcome that surprised many observers,
the Green Party and the National Unity Party both failed to receive an
outright majority of the votes, so a runoff was required this past
Sunday. Over 13 million Colombians participated in the second round,
with former Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos receiving 69 percent of
the vote and becoming the President-elect of Colombia.
With this resolution, the House of Representatives honors the
Colombian people and their commitment to democracy. Since gaining its
independence from Spain in 1819, Colombia has remained democratic,
sometimes as an outlier in this region. We applaud the free and fair
nature of these multiparty, internationally recognized elections.
Colombia is not without problems, some of them significant. The human
rights situation in Colombia leaves much to be desired, and Colombia
has over 3 million internally displaced peoples, second in the world
only to Sudan as a result of its long struggles with armed groups that
the United States and most of the world considers terrorists. While
these issues must remain on

[[Page H4712]]

the front burner of our common agenda, it is important to recognize
that Colombia remains an important friend and ally of the United
States, and their resilience in the long hemispheric battle against
narcotrafficking is worthy of respect and admiration.
As we congratulate President-elect Juan Manuel Santos on this victory
in Colombia's June 20, 2010, presidential election, we have every
expectation that he and his new administration will continue the
tradition of a strong relationship with the United States.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to my good friend,
the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mario Diaz-Balart), a member of the
Budget, Science and Technology, and Transportation Committees.
Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. I thank the ranking member of the
Foreign Affairs Committee from my Florida delegation, Congresswoman
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, for yielding.
I rise to strongly support this important resolution. This past
Sunday, as we have just heard, 20 million of Colombia's citizens turned
out to the polls and elected former Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos
as President with a resounding 69 percent of the vote. And yet the true
champion and the true winners of this presidential election were who?
The Colombian people and democracy as a whole were the winners and,
yes, the United States of America, because the Colombian people not
only elected someone who I know will lead them with brilliance, but
also a person who understands the special ties between Colombia and the
United States of America.
Madam Speaker, words are important, but so are actions. It is now
also time--yes, we have to pass this important resolution, but we also
have to bring forward to this House the free trade deal with Colombia
that has been lingering and just waiting for congressional action.
Colombia is a strong ally, they've done everything right. The people
have once again spoken--with huge numbers--and supported a person who
again has been pushing for the free trade deal just like his
predecessor, the current President of Colombia, President Uribe, who
again has demonstrated great leadership.
It's time that we bring up the free trade deal, it's time that we
passed the free trade deal, it's time that not only do we shower
Colombia with kind words, but that we show with our action, this
Congress, that we do care for democracy, that we understand that we
have to support our allies, none more important than Colombia. It's
time to pass the free trade deal with Colombia, and in the meantime, I
urge your support of this important resolution.
Ms. WATSON. Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to
the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Moran), the ranking member on the
Agriculture Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk
Management.
Mr. MORAN of Kansas. I thank the gentlewoman from Florida for
yielding.
I traveled to Colombia in April of 2008 to see our U.S.-Colombia
partnership at work. Colombia has overcome many, many challenges and
more remain, and it's essential that the United States continue a
positive relationship with this critical ally in South America.
While it's good we're here today to discuss and pass this nonbinding
resolution in support of Colombia, the better way to show our support
for the Colombian people is to approve a still pending--4 years now--
trade agreement. It has been nearly 4 years since the FTA, the free
trade agreement, was signed, and yet Congress has failed to act. The
longer we wait to approve the free trade agreement, the more we
alienate this important ally and harm the American economy.
Currently, over 90 percent of Colombian goods enter our country duty
free, but U.S. goods, including wheat and other agriculture
commodities, are assessed at significant tariffs upon their entry to
Colombia. If the Colombian Free Trade Agreement was approved, duties on
U.S. wheat would immediately be eliminated, creating new opportunities
for wheat exports.
It's harvest time in Kansas, and new market access is critical for
Kansas wheat farmers who are encountering growing wheat supplies and
declining prices. Unable to move wheat on the world market, grain
elevators are dropping cash prices paid to our local farmers.
I support this resolution, but it is not a substitute for what we
ought to be doing, approving the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement.
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I am so honored to yield 2 minutes
to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Brady), the ranking member on the
House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Trade who has been a proud
proponent of passing the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement.
Mr. BRADY of Texas. I thank the gentlelady for her leadership and for
yielding.
I want to congratulate the Colombian people and President-elect
Santos on a successful and democratic election. Madam Speaker, I would
like to enter into the Record this editorial from The Washington Post
calling on the administration and congressional Democrats to support
the incoming Santos administration by acting on the U.S.-Colombia Trade
Promotion Agreement.
President-elect Santos will continue the great work done by President
Uribe to strengthen the rule of law and improve the lives of all
Colombians. Colombian workers are safer now than ever before. Despite
this progress, Colombia faces real challenges. Venezuela has imposed a
trade embargo because of Colombia's strong support for the United
States, severely damaging the Colombian economy. We have a powerful
tool to help Colombia weather the embargo, the U.S. Free Trade
Agreement with Colombia. With this agreement, the United States would
provide both economic and political support for a truly democratic
government and a longstanding ally. Unfortunately, Dem-
ocrats in Congress have denied us even the opportunity for a simple up-
or-down vote on the agreement. But other countries aren't standing
still. They are reaching agreements with Colombia, racing ahead to put
their workers and their businesses ahead of ours. Just yesterday, the
Canadian Legislature ratified the Canada-Colombian Trade Agreement.
That agreement could go into effect in just a few months. Colombia is
negotiating agreements with Europe, Panama, and South Korea, as a
result, American workers are falling behind.
There is no credible reason to oppose the U.S.-Colombia Trade
Agreement. It levels the playing field for American workers, creating
over $1 billion in new U.S. sales to Colombia. The bill imposes
stronger labor protections for Colombian workers, which is why
thousands of union workers in Colombia support the agreement. And it
demonstrates America's commitment to a valuable and longstanding ally.
The administration says it wants to increase U.S. exports, create
jobs, and ensure strong U.S. foreign policy, but none of this is
credible while it ignores the U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement
and does not make it ready for a vote in Congress.

[From the Washington Post, Tuesday, June 22, 2010]

Will Washington Treat Colombia's Santos as an Ally?

Juan Manuel Santos has demonstrated that pro-American, pro-
free-market politicians still have life in Latin America. Mr.
Santos, who romped to victory in Colombia's presidential
runoff on Sunday, has no interest in courting Iran, unlike
Brazil's Luiz Ignacio Lula da Silva. He has rejected the
authoritarian socialism of Venezuela's Hugo Chavez. A former
journalist with degrees from the University of Kansas and
Harvard, he values free media and independent courts. His
biggest priority may be ratifying and implementing a free-
trade agreement between Colombia and the United States.
So the question raised by Mr. Santos's election is whether
the Obama administration and Democratic congressional leaders
will greet this strong and needed U.S. ally with open arms--
or with the arms-length disdain and protectionist
stonewalling to which they subjected his predecessor, Alvaro
Uribe.
Mr. Uribe will leave office in August as one of the most
successful presidents in modern Latin American history,
though you would never know it from listening to his critics
in Washington. He beefed up Colombia's army and economy, and
smashed the terrorist FARC movement; murders have fallen by
45 percent and kidnappings by 90 percent during

[[Page H4713]]

his eight years in office. Though most Colombians wanted him
to remain in power, he bowed to a Supreme Court ruling
against a referendum on a third term--which means that unlike
Mr. Chavez, he will leave behind a strong democratic system.
Colombia has nevertheless been treated more as an enemy
than friend by congressional Democrats, who have steadily
reduced U.S. military aid and worked assiduously to block the
free-trade agreement Mr. Uribe negotiated with the Bush
administration. The Obama administration, which has courted
Mr. Lula and sought to improve relations with Venezuela and
Cuba, has been cool to Colombia, recommending another 11
percent reduction in aid for next year and keeping the trade
agreement on ice.
Mr. Santos's election offers an opportunity to revitalize
the relationship. As defense minister, he demonstrated a
commitment to addressing the human rights concerns that
troubled some in Congress. He has pledged to seek better
relations with both Venezuela and Ecuador, despite the
material support those countries have provided to the FARC.
Ratification of the free-trade agreement would serve the
administration's stated goal of boosting U.S. exports while
bolstering a nation that could be an anchor for democracy and
political moderation in the region. It would also allow the
administration and Congress to demonstrate that friends of
the United States will be supported and not scorned in
Washington.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise today as the proud author of the resolution
before us, House Resolution 1465, which reaffirms the longstanding
friendship and the deep alliance between the United States and
Colombia.

{time} 1350

Furthermore, it recognizes our shared commitment to democracy, and it
congratulates Juan Manuel Santos as President-elect of Colombia.
In Colombia, we have seen the impossible become possible. Once under
siege by extremist groups and drug cartels, the people of Colombia and
its government have transformed a dark past into a promising bright
future. The recent Presidential elections in Colombia are a testament
to this progress and demonstrate the confidence that the people of
Colombia have in President-elect Santos. Receiving 69 percent of the
vote, President-elect Santos has a clear mandate to continue much of
the progress seen under President Uribe.
Following his victory on Sunday, President-elect Santos said,
``Colombia is leaving its nightmare. The FARC's time has run out. No
more useless confrontations, no more divisions. The time has arrived
for union. The time has arrived for work, employment and
entrepreneurialism.''
Juan Manuel Santos' professed commitment to the values of freedom and
demonstrated ability to stand up to extremists stands in stark contrast
to the tyrannical and destabilizing agendas of dictators in the region.
Further, the free and fair nature of the multiparty, internationally
recognized Presidential election in Colombia serves as an important
reminder to some in the region of what a real and genuine democratic
electoral process really looks like.
With elections scheduled soon in Venezuela and Nicaragua, we have
already seen both Hugo Chavez and Daniel Ortega pulling out all the
stops to question their opposition. From the media to the courts,
Chavez and Ortega have no shame in their abject dismissal of the
democratic processes in their countries. However, as critical as it is
to call out those who affront the principles of a democratic society,
it is equally important to recognize those who embrace them, which is
why we are here today, Madam Speaker, standing in support of House
Resolution 1465.
Colombia represents to many the light at the end of the tunnel.
Colombia shows that, with hard work, determination and a commitment to
fundamental freedoms, a democracy can flourish no matter what the odds.
Instead of falling into a deep division, Colombia is ascending the peak
of freedom and democracy. I have no doubt that the vital alliance
between our country and Colombia is poised to become ever closer and
more successful than ever under the leadership of President-elect
Santos, and I remain ever hopeful that this alliance will soon include
the passage of the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement.
Colombia has enormous potential for U.S. businesses, especially in my
home State of Florida. Miami had nearly $6 billion in total trade with
Colombia last year alone. Signed nearly 4 years ago, the FTA is one of
the easiest, most obvious steps that Congress can take to expand these
important economic ties.
We can ask for no better partner or trusted ally than the people of
Colombia. Its commitment to the democratic process, as demonstrated by
this weekend's free, fair, and transparent election, shows what can be
accomplished when the basic tenets of liberty are afforded to the
people of a nation.
In closing, Madam Speaker, I would like to congratulate President-
elect Santos on this momentous occasion, and once again, I would like
to recognize the unbreakable ties between the people of the United
States and Colombia.
I am so pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas--they
only come that way in Texas--Judge Poe, an esteemed member of our
Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Mr. POE of Texas. I thank the gentlewoman from Florida for yielding
some time.
Madam Speaker, this is an important resolution. It puts the United
States on record as to where we stand in our part of the world when it
comes to democracy and in supporting our allies. Colombia is an ally of
the United States.
When I was in Colombia in April, down in the jungle with the
narcotics police--with General Patino--helping and watching how they
fight the cartels and FARC, I learned from the Colombians that they
like Americans, not just their government but the people of Colombia.
Yet that is not universally true in South America. There are a lot of
folks who don't care much for the United States, but the Colombian
people are our allies, not only politically, but also, they like
Americans for who we are. They support us, and we should support them.
It was a good day for democracy when President Santos was elected
this past weekend. We should show Colombia and the rest of the world
that we support this democracy in South America. We should also support
the Colombian-American Free Trade Agreement. This is an important
agreement to show that we mean business in supporting another
democracy. Rather than talking about trading with the Chinese, we ought
to talk about trading with democracies. This is one of those
democracies, and it is being stalled for political reasons.
We need to support this. We need to pass it through this House and to
make sure that the Colombians know that we mean, in word and deed, that
they are our ally, especially our ally in free trade. So I commend this
resolution. We must make sure that we support democracy anywhere it
occurs in the world, and we must support freedom as well. Let's move a
step forward, and let's move forward with the free trade agreement with
our friends, our allies, and our neighbors in Colombia.
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I thank my good friend from Texas.
I have no further requests for time, Madam Speaker, and I yield back
the balance of my time.
Ms. WATSON. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Watson) that the House suspend the
rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 1465.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the resolution was agreed to.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

____________________