The House of Representatives approved April 10 by a vote of 224 to 195 a resolution removing the requirement that legislation to implement the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement be acted upon by the House within a specified period of time. The vote allows House Democratic leaders to indefinitely postpone a vote on the FTA bill, which the Bush administration submitted to Congress earlier this week in an effort to ensure that such a vote was held this year.
Republicans continued to criticize the rule change and the consequences it may have. “This is a sad day for the United States of America,” said U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab, “as the reckless decision by the Democratic House Leadership dismantles over thirty years of bipartisan trade policy precedent.” Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, said the rule change is “simply not necessary,” noting that the TPA law “doesn’t mandate a vote tomorrow” and that there is therefore “ample time to reach agreement on reauthorizing trade adjustment assistance.” Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez warned that delaying the FTA will put U.S. workers and companies at a disadvantage in a key South American market. “If Colombians don’t buy our tractors they’ll buy them from Japan,” he said. “If they don’t buy our wheat, they’ll buy it from Canada. If they don’t buy our high-tech equipment, they’ll buy it from China. … Delaying helps no one except for the special interests that are holding this up.” House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, warned that the rule change could have broader effects as well, asking “What nation would conclude a treaty with the United States knowing that Congress can change the rules of the game after it is negotiated?”
Democrats said this week’s action does not necessarily mean there is no hope for a vote on the Colombia FTA this year. “We have come together on many bipartisan agreements on how to inject demand and vitality into our economy, and we would hope some of those initiatives would be acceptable to the president, funded and signed into law,” said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. “Then, and only then, can we consider the merit of a Colombia free trade agreement.” Some observers, however, say that with Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama both opposing the Colombia FTA, prospects for a vote, particularly as the November election draws closer, are unfavorable.
World Trade/Interactive
