Lamborn's Latest: Free Trade=Forced Trade!

18 Comments

by: Colorado Pols

Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-Colorado Springs).

A press release this week from Rep. Doug Lamborn of Colorado Springs, famous for his almost total inability to pass legislation in Congress, announces his latest big idea:

Today I introduced H.R 5727 to thwart efforts by Palestinian organizations to pressure different corporations, companies and educational institutions to boycott, divest, and sanction Israel. Sadly, just yesterday we heard that some in the European Union are drafting new regulations with a similar aim. These attacks and the falsehoods being spread about Israel are harmful to any honest effort to bring peace to the region.

My bill will require that any prospective contractors with the U.S. Government will certify that they are not boycotting a country with which the U.S. has a free trade agreement. The bill also includes penalties for false certifications, including the ability to ban companies that breach its parameters from doing future business with the U.S. Government. Our government business practices should not play any role in harming our greatest ally in the Middle East.

Israel is the only true democracy in the Middle East, a place where all men and women enjoy freedom regardless of their faith or ethnicity. In fact Jewish owned factories and companies in Israel and in Judea and Samaria are among the chief employers of the Palestinian community. Palestinian workers get equal pay and equal treatment and enjoy benefits.

We respect the great sensitivity of the debate over Israel and the occupied territories under her control inhabited by Palestinian Arabs. Setting that aside for a moment, it's worth noting that the United States has free trade agreements was many more nations than Israel, who would presumably also be shielded from boycotts by American companies also doing business with the federal government under Lamborn's bill. So everyone's clear, that includes the free trade agreements in place today between the United States and Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Jordan, South Korea, Mexico, Morocco, Nicaragua, Oman, Panama, Peru, and Singapore. There is also a pending trade agreement with many more nations proposed as part of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).

So, next time the King of Bahrain decides it's time to brutally crush a protest movement, or things get nasty in Nicaragua again human rights-wise, or Singapore breaks out the rattan cane on another punk American vandal…no boycotts, folks! And to make sure the greatest possible chilling effect is achieved, Lamborn's bill is worded broadly to ensure both federal contractors and anyone "owned or controlled by the [contractor] is not a 'boycotting person.'" Which could cover a lot of people unrelated to the federal contract in question.

Bottom line: it's another in-all-likelihood stillborn bad idea from Doug Lamborn–so bad, in fact, that we think he may have actually thought of it himself as opposed to it being written by a lobbyist.

18 thoughts on “Lamborn’s Latest: Free Trade=Forced Trade!”

FrankUnderwood says:

November 20, 2014 at 1:56 pm

This is the kickoff to the Lamborn for Senate '16 campaign!

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Diogenesdemar says:

November 20, 2014 at 2:18 pm

My guess is that when the truth is revealed we're gonna' find out that Lamborn's bill was actually ghostwritten . . .

. . . by the chicken.

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Phoenix Rising says:

November 20, 2014 at 3:03 pm

The sad part is, this is one bill of Lamborn's that might pass regardless of its stupidity.

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1. FrankUnderwood says:
  
  November 20, 2014 at 3:11 pm
  
  I'm telling you, he's trying to beef up his resume before he reach for the golden ring….higher office!
  
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2. JeffcoBlue says:
  
  November 20, 2014 at 4:26 pm
  
  Kind of anti freedom and free market though, isn't it? Don't American businesses reserve the right to refuse service to anyone?
  
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  1. Old Time Dem says:
    
    November 20, 2014 at 8:21 pm
    
    Actually not–the US already has anti-boycott laws. Violations include fines and imprisonment, and the loss of tax benefits.
    
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Gilpin Guy says:

November 20, 2014 at 3:48 pm

Another still-born by Lamborn. Could it be a miscarriage 'for' justice?

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Moderatus says:

November 20, 2014 at 4:36 pm

Excuse me, but why is it a problem to ask companies who take taxpayer dollars to not do things that hurt American foreign policy? Your animus against Lamborn is expected, but is this really the problem you think it is? I don't see what you mean.

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1. Diogenesdemar says:
  
  November 20, 2014 at 4:46 pm
  
  Upon further review, the ruling on the field is that corporations, being the people that they are, enjoy 1st amendment protection of speech (or the withholding of speech), and not just the right to worship the jesus of the GOP choice . . .
  
  Further it is ruled that you are almost as much a fucking idiot as Lamborn . . .
  
  . . . the pass is both illegal and imcomplete.
  
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  1. Canines says:
    
    November 21, 2014 at 9:56 am
    
    That's brilliant!
    
    Lamborn Champions Free Speech
    
    June 24, 2010
    
    Votes Against DISCLOSE Act
    
              Today, Congressman Doug Lamborn (CO-05) voted against H.R. 5175, a bill designed to stifle American citizens’ free speech.
    
               “I am deeply troubled that House Democrats are supporting a bill that shreds our U.S. Constitution by limiting free speech. The Constitution is very clear in stating that ‘Congress shall make no law . . . abridging the freedom of speech.’ It is also reprehensible the way Democrats are bargaining away our constitutional protections to favored special interest groups.
    
               “I took an oath to uphold the U.S. Constitution, and I believe the First Amendment is essential to our liberty as a nation. If we negotiate on the First Amendment, where do we stop? This is a desperate attempt by Democrats to undermine the Constitution in order to protect their majority in Congress.” – Congressman Doug Lamborn (CO-05)
    
                 H.R. 5175 was introduced in direct response to the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision.  It would effectively chill free speech for American corporations, grassroots organizations, upstart, low-budget campaigns, and small businesses who wish to share information with the public through political advertising. Current law already provides for disclosure, and it already bans foreign nationals from contributing to elections…
    
    
    
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2. FrankUnderwood says:
  
  November 20, 2014 at 5:11 pm
  
  You like the government telling private business what they can and can't do? Why do you hate freedom?
  
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3. BlueCat says:
  
  November 20, 2014 at 5:28 pm
  
  In case you haven't noticed, Israel has been a huge pain in the ass where ours, an every western power's, foreign policy is concerned. Also it's completely false that all Israeli citizens have equal rights regardless of religion. No Jewish person who knows the first thing about the state of Israel would ever make such a ridiculous claim. You can't very well have a Jewish state without special rights for Jews. Otherwise you'd always run the risk of demographics ending its existence as a Jewish state. Of course Jews have special status.
  
  Even among Jews, you don't really have what we here recognize as religious freedom. No form of Judaism is recognized except Orthodox Judaism. If you're Jewish and you want to marry a non-Jew, you can't. You either get married to another Jew or you have to leave the country to get married. People mostly go to Cyprus. This is only one of the myriad ways in which non-religious Jews, the majority in Israel, have to submit to the requirements of a state religion.
  
  If you want to build a temple for a Reform congregation (which would have no legal recognition as being Jewish at all) and the Orthodox come and throw stones, disrupt construction, issue death threats, etc., don't count on the government to do much about it. They won't.
  
  Those are small inconveniences compared to what an Israeli Arab citizen faces. They are subject to perfectly legal segregation just like African Americans in the pre-civil rights US. They are only allowed to rent or buy where Arabs are allowed. Their children are only allowed to go to school where Arabs are allowed. Certain careers paths are closed to them. They very definitely do not have equal rights. They have limited second class citizen status.
  
  Lamborn doesn't know WTF he's talking about, as usual. And I don't want to hear about how much worse Palestinians or Hamas or ISIS or the Iranians or anyone else are. That's another subject. This isn't about Johnny does it too or does it worse. I'm simply correcting Lamborn's completely inaccurate claims about freedom and equality in Israel.
  
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  1. FrankUnderwood says:
    
    November 21, 2014 at 7:58 am
    
    Substitute the words "fundamental Christian" for "Orthodox Jew" and you have the theocracy some of the Evangelical Republicans would like established in this country.
    
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    1. BlueCat says:
      
      November 21, 2014 at 8:58 am
      
      Yep.
      
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4. Old Time Dem says:
  
  November 20, 2014 at 8:20 pm
  
  Because it's already against the law?
  
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FrankUnderwood says:

November 20, 2014 at 6:12 pm

Denver Post is reporting on Still-born going off message w/ a poll today asking constituents how Congress should respond to the immigration EO. Options included the "I" word, de-funding, another lawsuit, censure, and doing nothing!

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1. Diogenesdemar says:
  
  November 20, 2014 at 6:28 pm
  
  I guess that getting together and passing their own immigration bill hasn't been considered?? . . .
  
  . . . bwahahahahahahaha . . . bwahahahahha . . . hahabwahaha . . teehee hee hee . . . ooh, ooh, ooh . . .
  
  . . . seriously, "doing nothing" is at least something they've demonstrated they can manage . . . what they're best at.
  
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NoCo_Indy says:

November 20, 2014 at 6:51 pm

It's all fine and good until a cause you might support wants to create a boycott, such as the one <a href="http://conservativetribune.com/veterans-boycott-mexico/"> proposed </a> against Mexico by the VFW demanding the release of Andrew Tahmooressi earlier this year.

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