House and Senate Immigration Hearings Begin - Houston Chronicle - July 6, 2006

Excerpt: House Republicans, pushing their plan to deal only with securing the borders and stopping the employment of illegal immigrants, convened a sometimes boisterous hearing at a Border Patrol facility in San Diego. They emphasized the need for greater cooperation between local and state law enforcement officers and the federal government.

More on NAFTA Super-Highways - Human Events - July 5, 2006

Excerpt: NASCO has altered the organization’s website homepage, apparently in direct response to the North American Union series we have published here, including discussion of NASCO and NAFTA Super-Highways.

Bush Signaling Shift in Stance on Immigration - The New York Times - July 5, 2006

In the face of staunch opposition by members of the House to the Bush administration's favored immigration plan -- which includes a guest worker program -- there are signs that the White House is willing to compromise, slightly. The compromise plan suggested to the White House by Rep. Mike Pence, (R.-Ind.), contains "triggers" that would phase in a guest worker program after certain immigration law enforcement goals have been met. Polls show the public is deeply troubled by the problem of illegal immigration.

NAFTA Superhighways: Stealth Creation of a "North American Union" - Human Events - June 30, 2006

Excerpt: What is objectionable is the plan to form a European Union-style North American Super-Highway system whose primary goal is to establish trilateral links for the open passage of freight transportation and the virtually unrestrained “migration” of people among the three countries. Building NAFTA Super-Highways that effectively erase the U.S. borders with Mexico and Canada is a concern, especially if the NAFTA Super-Highways contribute to accomplishing in a de facto manner the integration of the United States into a North American Union, thereby threatening the currently established sovereignty of the United States.

Bahrain and Oman Continue Anti-Israel Trade Embargo Despite Trade Pact Promises - The Jerusalem Post - June 12, 2006

Excerpt: In recent months, the Post has found that a number of Arab countries, such as Oman, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, each have continued to impose restrictions on the import of Israeli-made goods despite assurances given to Washington as part of free trade negotiations that they no longer would do so.

U.S.-Oman Trade Pact Approved by Senate - Reuters (via Washington Post) - June 29, 2006

Excerpts: The U.S. Senate approved a free trade pact with Oman on Thursday, overcoming Democrats' complaints that the Gulf Arab state has not done enough to improve workers rights. Senators voted 60-34 in favor of the pact.... Oman is next door to both Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, whose state-owned port company had to abandon plans to buy terminal operation rights at major U.S. ports earlier this year when that ignited a political firestorm. Several Democrats argued the Oman pact raised similar concerns. (Click here to send an email to your representative in opposition to the U.S.-Oman Free Trade Agreement. The House is likely to vote on this bill in July.)

U.S.-Oman Free Trade Agreement Would Enable a Dubai-Ports-World-type Company to Operate U.S. Ports - Lou Dobbs Tonight via CNN.com - June 28, 2006

Excerpts: BILL TUCKER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Lou, the U.S. free trade agreement with Oman is about to go before Congress for approval. Congress should look twice, though, before giving it their traditional rubberstamp of approval.

TUCKER (voice-over): The United States is on the verge of further compromising its port security in the name of free trade. All for Oman, a small Middle Eastern country which shares borders with Yemen, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

LORI WALLACH, PUBLIC CITIZEN: Under the Oman free trade agreement, foreign port operators would have a right, an absolute trade agreement right, to establish operations, to acquire, to operate, to run port facilities within the U.S.

Bush Submits U.S.-Oman Free Trade Agreement to Congress for Up or Down Vote - whitehouse.gov - June 26, 2006

Excerpts: I am pleased to transmit legislation and supporting documents to implement the United States-Oman Free Trade Agreement (FTA).... Congressional approval of this FTA will mark another important step towards creating a Middle East Free Trade Area.

Bush Submits U.S.-Oman Free Trade Agreement to Congress for Up or Down Vote - whitehouse.gov - June 26, 2006

Excerpts: I am pleased to transmit legislation and supporting documents to implement the United States-Oman Free Trade Agreement (FTA).... Congressional approval of this FTA will mark another important step towards creating a Middle East Free Trade Area.

House Leader Intends Vote on U.S.-Oman Free Trade Agreement in July - Reuters (via tradearabia.com) - June 24, 2006

Excerpt: The US House of Representatives could vote on a free-trade pact with Oman in July, a top Republican said. 'We do intend to do Oman. We do intend to do it in July,' House Majority Whip Roy Blunt, a Missouri Republican, said.

House Leader Intends Vote on U.S.-Oman Free Trade Agreement in July - Reuters (via tradearabia.com) - June 24, 2006

Excerpt: The US House of Representatives could vote on a free-trade pact with Oman in July, a top Republican said. 'We do intend to do Oman. We do intend to do it in July,' House Majority Whip Roy Blunt, a Missouri Republican, said.

Vote on U.S.-Oman Free Trade Agreement Could Be in July or Delayed Until After Fall Elections - Reuters - June 21, 2006

Excerpts: U.S. business groups hope to persuade congressional leaders to schedule votes on trade agreements with Oman, Peru and Vietnam as quickly as possible, a lobbyist said on Wednesday.... House of Representatives Majority Leader John Boehner, an Ohio Republican, suggested last week that Congress could delay votes on new trade deals until a special "lame duck" session after the November congressional election. He said many members still had bruises from last year's tough vote on a trade pact with Central America.

Texas-size Gap Between Bush and His Party's Faithful on Immigration (by Gary Benoit) - The New American Online - June 25, 2006

The recent state convention of the Republican Party of Texas in San Antonio provided further confirmation that the president's guest-worker/amnesty proposal is not in accord with his own party's faithful -- not even in his home state.

GOP Plans Hearings on Immigration - Washington Post - June 21, 2006

Excerpt: In a move that could bury President Bush's high-profile effort to overhaul immigration law until after the midterm elections, House GOP leaders yesterday announced a series of field hearings during the August recess, pushing off final negotiations on a bill until fall at the earliest. The announcement was the clearest sign yet that House Republicans have largely given up on passing a broad rewrite of the nation's immigration laws this year. They believe that their get-tough approach -- including building a wall along the border with Mexico and deporting millions of illegal immigrants -- is far more popular with voters than the approach backed by Bush and the Senate, which would create a guest-worker program and allow many illegal immigrants to apply for U.S. citizenship.

GOP Plans Hearings on Immigration - Washington Post - June 21, 2006

Excerpt: In a move that could bury President Bush's high-profile effort to overhaul immigration law until after the midterm elections, House GOP leaders yesterday announced a series of field hearings during the August recess, pushing off final negotiations on a bill until fall at the earliest. The announcement was the clearest sign yet that House Republicans have largely given up on passing a broad rewrite of the nation's immigration laws this year. They believe that their get-tough approach -- including building a wall along the border with Mexico and deporting millions of illegal immigrants -- is far more popular with voters than the approach backed by Bush and the Senate, which would create a guest-worker program and allow many illegal immigrants to apply for U.S. citizenship.