Senator (Baucus) threatens to block South Korea deal

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

Senator threatens to block South Korea deal

By Missy Ryan
Reuters
Monday, April 2, 2007; 1:03 PM

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A senior U.S. lawmaker threatened to block a major
trade deal with South Korea just hours after it was reached_on Monday, saying
U.S. negotiators failed to ensure sufficient access for U.S. beef exports.

"I will not allow it to move through the Senate, unless and until Korea completely
lifts its ban on U.S. beef," Sen. Max Baucus, chairman of the influential Senate
Finance Committee, said in a statement.

"This is an entirely unacceptable outcome."

A hard line from Baucus and other members of Congress could be trouble for the
deal, which officials wrapped up after a marathon negotiating session in Seoul.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/02/AR2007040200699.html

[unlawflcombatnt]

1. Let's hope he DOES block it.

I hope it gets blocked for a number of reasons, not the least being that neither the American people or the Korean people want the deal to go through.

South Korean businesses are making increasing use of North Korean slave labor in the Gaesong area (a fenced-in industrial park located in the DMZ between North & South Korea), where South Korean business takes advantage of impoverished North Korean workers, thus displacing higher-paid South Korean workers from jobs. There is also concern that U.S. investors may be able to tap into this North Korean slave labor as well, through investment and/or ownership in South Korean companies.

[Rydz777]

3. Beef

I suppose it is the beef that got Baucus' attention (being from Montana) but you are right that it should be killed for many other reasons as well.

[Supersedeas]

2. But but but Condi -- this is her big big big achievement