White House submits trade pacts after deal with House GOP

The White House sent three pending trade agreements to Congress on Monday after reaching a deal with House Republican leaders.

The agreement will allow trade pacts with South Korea, Colombia and Panama to move forward, in addition to legislation to help workers who are hurt by increased trade.

The deal sets up a bruising fight within the Democratic caucuses in the House and Senate, which are divided over trade. Most of organized labor opposes all three trade deals, which were negotiated by the Bush administration and have been dormant for years. 

Business groups have pressed for their passage, saying they would help the economy. 

Congress could not move forward with the three agreements, which all enjoy significant backing from Republicans, until the Obama administration formally sent lawmakers legislation implementing the deals. But the White House had held back for fear Republicans would not move legislation extending the worker assistance program known as Trade Adjustment Assistance.

President Obama would like the three deals to move before a state visit by South Korea’s president, who will be in Washington Oct. 13. The visit provided an extra push for the parties to come together.

“The series of trade agreements I am submitting to Congress today will make it easier for American companies to sell their products in South Korea, Colombia and Panama and provide a major boost to our exports,” Obama said in a statement. 

“We’ve worked hard to strengthen these agreements to get the best possible deal for American workers and businesses, and I call on Congress to pass them without delay, along with the bipartisan agreement on Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) that will help workers whose jobs have been affected by global competition.”

Senior administration officials said they expect all four bills to pass in the near future.

House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) praised the White House for its decision while criticizing it for the delay. 

“While the delay was unacceptably long and likely cost jobs, I am pleased the Obama administration has finally done its part and sent these important trade pacts to Congress,” he said in a statement. 

 Boehner vowed to make all three agreements a top priority for the House. He said he expected them to be approved “consecutively and in tandem with Senate-passed TAA legislation.”

The House Rules Committee on Monday night approved a closed rule for the consideration of TAA that allows for an hour of debate and no amendments. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) said the House intends to debate and pass the measures next week.

The House Ways and Means Committee will hold a markup of all four pending pieces of legislation on Wednesday, Chairman Dave Camp (R-Mich.) said.

In the Senate, Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said he expects to pass the bills during the next work period, which ends Oct. 24. 

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said he would join Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and panel ranking member Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) in introducing the bills on Monday night. 

The deal with South Korea would be the largest trade agreement to be approved by Congress since the North American Free Trade Agreement with Mexico and Canada in the mid-1990s. South Korea’s ambassador to the U.S. said it would strengthen the alliance between the two nations.

“It is a decisive step toward strengthening the economic ties, as well as the alliance, between our two countries,” said Ambassador Han Duk-soo. 

U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk also called for quick congressional action on legislation. 

“We must take every opportunity to get America back to work, and Congress should pass these agreements without delay,” Kirk said. 

“Taken together, the pending trade agreements and Trade Adjustment Assistance advance a balanced trade agenda that opens new markets for our exporters and new opportunities for America’s working families,” he said.

Under rules governing trade agreements negotiated in the Bush years, the trade deal implementing legislation may not be amended, and Congress has 90 days to hold up-or-down votes on each of the agreements. Changes to the legislation would make it subject to normal rules and procedures, including amendment and a Senate filibuster.

Legislation for the U.S.-Colombia trade agreement also includes a renewal of the Andean Trade Preferences Act. That legislation, which reduced duties on products from Andean countries, was enacted in December 1991 to help Andean countries in their fight against drug production and trafficking by expanding their economic alternatives.

This story was posted at 4:44 p.m. and last updated at 7:52 p.m.

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