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.
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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
Pence: “Welcome To The Next Installment Of The Party Of Yes”
At a press conference today, leading Republican Party members’ discussed their House Republican Housing Plan proposal.
Congressman Cantor said, “The notion in this country is you work hard, you play by the rules and that you can get a reward. This administration in the housing area doesn't quite jive with that sense of the American spirit. Instead what we have seen are proposals that call upon the 90 some percent of the Americans, who are paying their mortgage, playing by the rules, calling on them to subsidize those who don’t. So the plan we have unveiled today responds to that notion and speaks to all Americans and tries to address the severe problem with excess and home inventories.”
Congressman Cantor added that this was a “central element to addressing the bank failures and capital markets failures.”
The Republican plan says that it can “provide a $5,000 refinancing tax credit to help families cover the costs of a mortgage refinancing, buy down points, or reduce their principle balance (covers refinancing through July 1, 2010).” The plan also states that, “in exchange for a lender investing in keeping a homeowner in their family home by refinancing their mortgage and lowering their monthly payments, if the homeowner agrees to share a portion of future home appreciation with the lender, then the lender will not be taxed on that future profit and the borrower will not incur any tax liability as a result of the refinancing (covers refinancing through July 1, 2010).”
Congressman Pence said, “Welcome to the next installment of the party of yes. Yes to new solutions, yes to alternatives that will resonate with millions of Americans because they are grounded in the timeless personal responsibility.
Congressman Pence added, “Unfortunately our democratic colleagues have only offered failed policies that reward bad behavior and massively expand government programs. The Republicans today unveil a better solution, and when the American people have a chance to look at it I believe most of them will agree.”