Democratic representative Charles Rangel of New York called the Bush Administration tactics regarding the 25% tax on HFCS (High Fructose Corn Syrup) “…inappropriate and unfortunate”. Rangel said: “If the administration thinks that the tax is inconsistent with the obligations of the Dominican Republic in the World Trade Organization, then its efforts should be directed by the obligations that both countries have with the WTO; and if they can’t find a mutually satisfactory solution, then the dispute should go to an arbitration panel.” Rangel pointed out that this was what happened with the negotiations with Mexico and the US. The US did not threaten to void the Free Trade Agreement in that case. The press release said that Rangel felt that the attitude shown by the Bush spokesmen “does not reflect a balanced, respectful and fair approach to this vital bi-lateral relationship.”