Wednesday
Feb042009
Obama Administration Needs To Work With Latin America
By Kayleigh Harvey - Talk Radio News Service
Sergio Bendixen, President of Bendixen and Associates; Dr Cynthia McClintock, Professor of political science and international affairs, and director of the Latin America and Hemispheric Studies Program at George Washington University, Eric Farnsworth, Vice-president of the Council of Americas and Ray Walser, senior policy analyst for Latin America in The Heritage Foundation's Douglas and Sarah Allison Center for Foreign Policy studies, gave testimonies today before the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere.
The witnesses created a lot of attention, with people lining up outside to hear the testimonies on "U.S. Policy Toward Latin America in 2009 and Beyond".
Congressman Gregory Meeks (D-NY), said: "You can tell by the way the room is filled today the interest in the Western Hemisphere".
Subcommittee Chairman Eliot Engel (D-NY) opened the hearing by welcoming Congressman Connie Mack (R-FL) as the committee's new Ranking Member and then outlined some positive steps he would like the Obama administration to pursue.
"First and foremost, I believe that President Obama's participation in April's Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago would send an extremely positive message to the heads of the state from Latin America, to the Caribbean. Second, as Chairman Berman moves forward with foreign aid reform and the Obama administration prepares its FY 2010 budget, it is essential that we increase funding for countries in the Western Hemisphere...Third, cooperation between the US and Brazil significantly expanded during the Bush Administration. This relationship needs to be further deepened under President Obama...Fourth, we must continue to support our friends in Mexico through the Merida Initiative...Fifth, I would urge President Obama to focus on Ecuador and Paraguay...and sixth, we must continue to support disaster recovery efforts in Haiti", Engel said.
Chairman Engel then went on to discuss the attacks in a synagogue in Caracus, Venezuela.
"On Monday, I sent a letter, along with 19 of my colleagues, to President Chavez urging him to end the bullying and harassment of the Jewish community in Venezuela and to extend the community the robust protection it deserves in light of the threats it faces. The Venezuelan government must quickly change its tune with regard to the country's Jewish community".
Dr McClintock said: "In Lationobarometer surveys between 2000 and 2005, approval ratings of the United States fell by more than 20 points in Ecuador, Chile, Brazil and Bolivia; more than 30 points in Mexico and Uruguay; and more than 40 points in Argentina, Paraguay, and Venezuela".
Ray Walser commented on America's dependence on the oil industry, with Congressman Ron Klein (D-FL) backing up his argument and stated that America needs to stop "buying oil from a country {Venezuela} that is hostile to our interests".
The committee also discussed the American economy and its ability to assist Latin American countries. Sergio Bendixen said: "We need to be realistic. Not only about what our friends want but what Latin America wants...we have economic limitations".
Other issues the committee discussed were the desires from the Obama administration, the April 2009 summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago, human rights in Cuba, immigration, drugs control and free trade.
Eric Farnsworth suggested in his testimony that Brazil and Mexico should be allowed to join the G8. "Listening to Latin America is important...the rest of the hemisphere also has good ideas".
Chairman Engel said: "We cannot ignore our own backyard".
The committee hearing ended after 120 minutes as Congress was called to vote.
Sergio Bendixen, President of Bendixen and Associates; Dr Cynthia McClintock, Professor of political science and international affairs, and director of the Latin America and Hemispheric Studies Program at George Washington University, Eric Farnsworth, Vice-president of the Council of Americas and Ray Walser, senior policy analyst for Latin America in The Heritage Foundation's Douglas and Sarah Allison Center for Foreign Policy studies, gave testimonies today before the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere.
The witnesses created a lot of attention, with people lining up outside to hear the testimonies on "U.S. Policy Toward Latin America in 2009 and Beyond".
Congressman Gregory Meeks (D-NY), said: "You can tell by the way the room is filled today the interest in the Western Hemisphere".
Subcommittee Chairman Eliot Engel (D-NY) opened the hearing by welcoming Congressman Connie Mack (R-FL) as the committee's new Ranking Member and then outlined some positive steps he would like the Obama administration to pursue.
"First and foremost, I believe that President Obama's participation in April's Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago would send an extremely positive message to the heads of the state from Latin America, to the Caribbean. Second, as Chairman Berman moves forward with foreign aid reform and the Obama administration prepares its FY 2010 budget, it is essential that we increase funding for countries in the Western Hemisphere...Third, cooperation between the US and Brazil significantly expanded during the Bush Administration. This relationship needs to be further deepened under President Obama...Fourth, we must continue to support our friends in Mexico through the Merida Initiative...Fifth, I would urge President Obama to focus on Ecuador and Paraguay...and sixth, we must continue to support disaster recovery efforts in Haiti", Engel said.
Chairman Engel then went on to discuss the attacks in a synagogue in Caracus, Venezuela.
"On Monday, I sent a letter, along with 19 of my colleagues, to President Chavez urging him to end the bullying and harassment of the Jewish community in Venezuela and to extend the community the robust protection it deserves in light of the threats it faces. The Venezuelan government must quickly change its tune with regard to the country's Jewish community".
Dr McClintock said: "In Lationobarometer surveys between 2000 and 2005, approval ratings of the United States fell by more than 20 points in Ecuador, Chile, Brazil and Bolivia; more than 30 points in Mexico and Uruguay; and more than 40 points in Argentina, Paraguay, and Venezuela".
Ray Walser commented on America's dependence on the oil industry, with Congressman Ron Klein (D-FL) backing up his argument and stated that America needs to stop "buying oil from a country {Venezuela} that is hostile to our interests".
The committee also discussed the American economy and its ability to assist Latin American countries. Sergio Bendixen said: "We need to be realistic. Not only about what our friends want but what Latin America wants...we have economic limitations".
Other issues the committee discussed were the desires from the Obama administration, the April 2009 summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago, human rights in Cuba, immigration, drugs control and free trade.
Eric Farnsworth suggested in his testimony that Brazil and Mexico should be allowed to join the G8. "Listening to Latin America is important...the rest of the hemisphere also has good ideas".
Chairman Engel said: "We cannot ignore our own backyard".
The committee hearing ended after 120 minutes as Congress was called to vote.
tagged 
America, Conservative, Eric, Farnsworth, Jewish, Latin, Resources, Rights, administration, affairs, bendixen, chairman, change, connie, cuba, cynthia, democrat, doctor, economy, eliot, engle, fair, foreign, gregory, hemisphere, human, immigration, mack, mcclintock, meek, need, obama, ray, republican, sergio, subcommittee, venezuela, walser, western, work in News/Commentary
America, Conservative, Eric, Farnsworth, Jewish, Latin, Resources, Rights, administration, affairs, bendixen, chairman, change, connie, cuba, cynthia, democrat, doctor, economy, eliot, engle, fair, foreign, gregory, hemisphere, human, immigration, mack, mcclintock, meek, need, obama, ray, republican, sergio, subcommittee, venezuela, walser, western, work in News/Commentary
Markey : “This Country has sent so much red, white and blue CO2 into the atmosphere”
Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Henry Waxman (D-CA), Congressman Edward Markey (D-MA) met with British Secretary of State Ed Milliband MP and Danish Minister for Environment, Connie Hedegaard today to discuss how to tackle environmental issues globally.
The meeting was the start of the new administrations environmental talks leading up to the “Climate Conference in Copenhagen” in December 2009.
In 2012 the Kyoto Protocol to prevent climate changes and global warming runs out. New targets will be set at the Copenhagen Conference.
Talking about America’s role, in the need for saving the environment, Chairman Waxman said: “The United States has to catch up and become a leader.”
Congressman Markey commented on the need to tackle the levels of CO2 emissions created from the United States. He said: “this country has sent so much red, white and blue, CO2 into the atmosphere....we need to fix this.”
Finding the dialogues throughout the day productive, Danish Minister Hedegaard stated: “We cannot tackle the global challenges like climate change without the United States...we have set ourselves an ambitious timeline and we must live up to it...a lot is at stake and it is important for the whole world to come together.”
Adding to these comments British Secretary of State Ed Milliband said: “Obama has shown in the economic stimulus and in his vision around the country that environmental issues are important...that despite the challenges we face, we can get an agreement globally.”
Chairman Waxman concluded with the statement that he hoped to pass legislation in December that will tackle energy independence, climate change and global warming.