It is expected today that House Democrats, led by Representative Charles Rangel (D-NY) will introduce a trade initiative emphasizing environmental protection, access to low-cost medicines and labor rights in all new international trade pacts. As The Wall Street Journal reports, "In the near term, the Democratic gambit appears likely to frustrate White House hopes of winning rapid votes this spring on pending free trade deals with Panama, Peru and Colombia. Beyond that, it lays out more clearly the wider set of issues the administration must confront in getting President Bush's trade agenda on track during his final two years in office." Hopefully, we'll see a renewed focus on global labor rights as American trade policy is notoriously vague on the subject of worker's rights.
About The Author
Alexandra Tursi
Alexandra Tursi edits the Visuals section of Identity Theory and also contributes to our Social Justice Blog. She is a 2005 graduate of Cornell University, where she studied political science. She is also a writer for Artscope Magazine. You can email her at tursita@identitytheory.com.