MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Vermont “shocks” Bush administration

In spite of Republicans having lost the majority in the Senate, the George W. Bush administration is confident it will have sufficient political support to negotiate the Americas Free Trade Association, AFTA, although Democrats are expected to include labor rights and environment protection clauses.

When Vermont (one of the US smallest states) Senator James Jeffords publicly announced he was leaving the Republican Party to vote independently, Democrats automatically took control of the evenly split Senate with a 50-49 majority..

The unexpected blow sent shockwaves to the Bush administration and its conservative agenda, since complications are forecasted in vital areas such as education, defense, environment and foreign policy. Besides Democrats will preside over several decisive Committees such as Judicial, that has to approve the nomination of many still vacant posts of the incoming administration plus candidates for Judges, and Defense, where the ambitious and controversial antiballistic shield has to be discussed.

Although Democrats favor extending free trade to all the American continent, the party also responds to unions fearful of job losses and environmentalists who want similar US legislation applied to other countries.

Republicans and Latin-American nations reject US enforcement of trade sanctions as Democrats tend to, and have in the past, when labor rights, environmental conditions or human rights are involved.

However both the previous Democrat Clinton administration and president Bush (as well as Bush Senior) have committed the United States to conclude AFT negotiations by 2005, so Washington analysts expect Congress to grant the "fast track" to the White House.

Apparently Senator Jeffords, who was very critical of the conservative Bush agenda, decided to leave the Republican party after he was denied aid for Vermont farmers and was not invited to the White House for the "Teacher of the year" celebration, that this year went to a Vermont resident.