WASHINGTON — U.S. Rep. Sam Farr rarely sees eye to eye with House Republican leaders on issues, but the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement stands as an exception.
Farr, D-Carmel, is lead Democratic sponsor of the agreement in the House, which was introduced on the House floor last week. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor of Virginia is the lead Republican sponsor.
If approved, it will pave the way for each country to export goods to the other duty-free. Farr said he was selected to lead Democratic efforts because of his "passion" about Colombia stemming from his years as a Peace Corps volunteer there in 1964-66. He described the Colombian people as "incredibly warm and loving Americans." The country itself, he said, is about the size of Texas and California put together and is one of the most biodiverse in the world.
In the Peace Corps, Farr was stationed just outside Medellin, the city that decades later would give rise to famous drug cartels.
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