Lawmakers, administration officials press for free trade agreements

Lawmakers and Obama administration officials continue to push for accords on three pending free trade agreements with South Korea, Colombia and Panama. 

Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, stressed the need for prompt approval of the pending U.S.-Colombia free trade agreement and Andean Trade Preference Act (ATPA) following a phone call Thursday with Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos. 

“President Santos and I had a productive conversation today," Hatch said in a statement. "We discussed how the trade agreement between our two countries will strengthen both the American and Colombian economies, create much-needed jobs and shore up a critical regional alliance."

On Thursday, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that the odds were improving to work out issues with Colombia, saying the "longer we wait, we lose more business and other countries come in. It makes no sense to us as a country to wait."

A week ago, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) urged the two nations to quickly forge a plan to resolve lingering concerns over workers' rights and anti-union violence that have blocked approval of a free trade pact. 

"In the coming days and weeks, the United States and Colombia should develop a specific plan that builds on the tremendous progress to date in strengthening labor rights and prosecuting labor violence," Baucus said in a speech delivered to the Chamber of Commerce in Bogota. 

He announced his commitment to gaining approval this year for the trade deal, which is strongly opposed by U.S. labor groups.

He praised Colombia for steps made to improve workers' conditions and greatly reduce the number of murders of union members by illegally armed groups. 

Still, Hatch chided the Obama administration, which has sent delegations of trade officials to Panama and Colombia recently to iron out differences, for failing to move faster on the three agreements. 

“Regrettably, President Obama has not charted a clear path for congressional consideration of our pending bilateral trade agreements with Colombia and Panama," he said. "As a result, U.S. workers and job creators continue to be at risk of losing these important markets to our competitors, hurting prospects for much-needed job growth."

Hatch and Baucus have teamed up to urge U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk to provide more details for a hearing planned before the committee on Wednesday. 

Kirk has said the Korean FTA could be ready for congressional consideration soon. 

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