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CAFTA Damage Report: With Illinois Jobs at Risk, Freshman Rep. Melissa Bean Flip-Flops from Campaign Pledge to Oppose NAFTA Expansions, Casts a Deciding CAFTA Vote

Public Citizen Launches CAFTA Damage Report to Track Results of Misguided CAFTA Votes

By Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a blow to the Illinois working families who campaigned to put her in office in 2004 and in contradiction to a 2004 campaign pledge, Rep. Melissa Bean (D-Ill.) voted in favor of the Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA). Bean cast a deciding vote as the controversial trade agreement eked past the U.S. House of Representatives 217 to 215 on July 27. CAFTA was opposed by all but 15 of the 202 Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives. If Bean had stuck to her pledge to oppose expansion of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), CAFTA would have failed on a 216-216 tie vote.