Trade rep. takes step toward submitting Korea FTA

U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk on Monday informed the House Ways and Means Committee and Senate Finance Committee that his office has finished preparing the Korea free trade agreement for submission to Congress.

But the Republican head of Ways and Means, as well as the Democratic head of Senate Finance, pushed back, demanding a timeline for the submission of the stalled Panama and Colombia free-trade agreements — thereby setting up a possible confrontation between Congress and the administration.

Kirk wrote to House Ways and Means Chairman Dave Camp and Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.), informing them that his office is ready to begin “technical discussions” on implementing the bill Congress needs to pass in order for the agreement to take effect.

“Your letter is completely silent on our pending agreements with Colombia and Panama,” Camp shot back. “The time for action is now.”

Baucus and Finance ranking member Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) wrote to Kirk that they still expect him to present a timetable when Kirk testifies before their committee on Wednesday.


Under the fast-track trade negotiating authority former President George W. Bush used to negotiate the South Korea agreement, Congress must hold up-or-down votes on the agreement within a set timeframe once it is submitted.

House Republicans could, however, invoke the “nuclear option” that former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) used in regard to the Colombia agreement in 2008 and alter the rules of the House to prevent that vote. It is unclear whether they would do so in an attempt to force President Obama to submit the Colombia and Panama deals.

Camp said in his letter that staff-level discussions on the Korea FTA bill were to take place on Tuesday, a possible sign that the GOP will allow the deal to go forward.

Ways and Means ranking member Rep. Sandy Levin (D-Mich.), whose concern over the Korea FTA’s auto provisions held it up for years until it was renegotiated in December, issued a release calling for the administration to submit it as soon as possible. The White House is arguing that if the EU-Korea deal goes into effect this year before the U.S. agreement does, U.S. exporters will be at a severe disadvantage.