| This vote was to table (kill) the amendment (Amdt. 3430) sponsored by Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) to repair the flawed investor protection model of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The amendment was a modest reform that guaranteed much-needed changes in the NAFTA Chapter 11 investment model in future trade agreements. Under the model, foreign investors may file a claim in secret NAFTA tribunals to seek compensation when government public interest regulations in any way diminish the value of their investment. In doing so, the amendment would have instructed U.S. trade negotiators to ensure that future investor provisions do not grant foreign investors rights beyond what the U.S. Constitution provides. Passed 55 Yea to 41 Nay. |