Lawmakers want more action on Colombia, Panama trade agreements

A bipartisan group of lawmakers has criticized the Obama administration’s new trade policy agenda for not giving enough of a push to pending trade agreements with Colombia and Panama. 

In its report, the administration continued to call for progress on those two pacts, as well as a renegotiated agreement with South Korea. But it also continued to discuss the Korean deal as running along a separate track from the other two.  

For their part, Republicans in Congress have called for all three agreements to be considered during the first half of this year.

The trade policy agreement submitted to Congress says that the administration hopes to soon secure congressional approval of the Korea deal. The White House has won bipartisan praise for its work on revamping that pact.

As for the other two, the report would only say that “the administration is applying these same principles of engagement as we seek additional opportunities to support American jobs through the pending Colombia and Panama trade agreements” — a statement that wasn’t strong enough for some lawmakers.

The top Democrat and Republican on the Senate Finance Committee — Sens. Max Baucus of Montana and Orrin Hatch of Utah, respectively — were among those who took issue with the administration’s release.

Hatch, for example, blasted the trade document for not releasing a “clear and reasonable timetable” for advancing the Colombia and Panama pacts.

“If American employers and workers are to compete in our global economy, then the White House must lead on trade. Regrettably, instead of concrete action, there’s only been rhetoric,” Hatch said in a statement.  

Baucus, meanwhile, continued his criticisms of how South Korea treats U.S. beef, and declared that “American ranchers, farmers and businesses can’t afford to lose any further ground in the booming Colombian and Panama markets.”

Reps. Dave Camp (R-Mich.), the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, and Kevin Brady, who heads that panel’s trade subcommittee, also criticized the trade agenda for not being more specific about Panama and Colombia. And 67 freshman Republicans in the House added to the chorus by sending President Obama a letter calling for all three deals to be approved in the next six months. 

At a House Ways and Means hearing several weeks ago, Republicans also criticized Ron Kirk, the U.S. trade representative, for not moving fast enough on those the Panama and Colombia agreements. 

But Kirk responded that the administration would not proceed with an agreement just “for agreements’ sake,” and indicated that the two pacts could be submitted to Congress this year. Kirk also said at the early February hearing that the president wanted to send the Korea deal to Congress in a few weeks. Other Democrats have also expressed concern about union-related violence in Colombia and tax-haven-related issues with Panama.

In the meantime, Republicans have also indicated that the lack of movement on the Panama and Colombia trade deals made them less likely to support initiatives like a trade adjustment assistance program that helps workers who lost their jobs due to trade.

In their response to the trade policy agenda, Reps. Sandy Levin (D-Mich.), the ranking member on House Ways and Means, and Jim McDermott (D-Wash.), the party’s top member on the trade subcommittee, complimented the administration’s efforts and blasted Republicans for holding up the South Korean deal and other trade matters.

“The Administration has set a course to resolve — as it did with the Korea FTA — major outstanding issues relating to the Colombia FTA,” Levin said in a statement. “Republicans should join in these efforts instead of attempting to hold hostage action on other important trade agreements while work continues on the Colombia and Panama agreements.”

The administration’s trade agenda also said that other priorities for the coming year would include continuing to push the National Export Initiative, which looks to double American exports over a five-year span; continue to make progress on the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which would try to boost American trade goals in Asia; and bring Russia and other countries into the World Trade Organization. 

“To further restore our country’s economic stability and support jobs for more Americans, the expansion of smart, responsible trade must remain a central element of our economic agenda,” the report says. 

The Senate Finance Committee is set to hear from Kirk next week on the administration’s trade agenda.