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
Republicans: Our Energy Proposal Creates “Real Jobs”
“Innovation, conservation and production,” were the key messages coming from the Republican Study Committee and the Western Caucus as Congressional Republicans unveiled their alternative energy proposal today.
Congressman Tom Price (R-Ga.) said, “Republican are wholly committed to finding positive solution to the challenges we face. Like with the stimulus, like with the budget and now in contrast to the Democrats national energy tax we are here to offer our vision.”
The American Energy and Innovation Act, as the proposal will be labeled, will create jobs and reduce debt according to Republicans. The main aims outlined in this bill are to, “encourage innovation” by creating renewable fuel options and environmental jobs. “Promote conservation” by “providing incentives for easing energy demand and creating a cleaner, more sustainable environment” and “increase production” by making use of all available technology and resources.
Congressman Rob Bishop (R-Utah) said there were now “two roads” Americans could chose to tackle energy needs. “The Democrat road is saying it can’t work we are not even going to it, our road is saying we have the ideas now is the time to do it, said Bishop.
Adding that “The Democrats have already given us an option on energy issues that will cost individuals up to $3000...the Republican road we want to go down is one that actually grows our energy supply so that no-one is harmed and in fact we have the chance to reduce the cost of energy.”
Bishop compared the two strategies to the movie ‘Back to the Future’ saying, “Remember those sequels to ‘Back to the Future’ where there were the two worlds? Our world is the one where the McFly family is happy, the Democrat version is the one where Biff runs everything.”
Congressman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) said the bill would be a “common sense act that is going to use our natural resources and our advanced technology to meet our energy needs and most importantly help our economy grow.”
In closing, Congressman John Fleming (R-La.) added, our vision “creates a vision for jobs, more jobs, not the so called paper mache jobs the green jobs, but real jobs created by industry.”