FTA Supporters See Passage on the Horizon
Dozen GOP Senators pledge support to TAA.
Compiled by staff
Published: Jul 26, 2011
President Obama and Congressional Republicans have disagreed over Trade Adjustment Assistance, a program that would help workers negatively affected by passage of the pending free trade agreements with Colombia, Panama and South Korea. The Administration has insisted that the program be reinstated before sending the trade deals to Congress.
Senators Roy Blunt, R-Mo., and Rob Portman, R-Ohio, have produced a letter with names of Republican Senators committed to voting to kill a filibuster of that legislation. The free trade agreements have been stalled due to Obama's request that TAA be attached to one of the deals.
Blunt and Portman believe they have created a compromise acceptable to both parties to clear TAA as a stand-alone bill and guarantee enough votes to kill a filibuster. The dozen Senators that signed on to the letter committing to support the legislation provides more than enough votes to ensure passage of the reformed TAA, which reflects the bipartisan reform brokered by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., and House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp, R-Mich. The White House is still concerned the Senate's TAA legislation might be amended in a way that could kill the bill.
"Together with my colleagues in the House and the Senate, I've been working to find a path forward for these job-producing agreements with our allies in Panama, Colombia, and South Korea for the last five years. Today we have that path forward," said Blunt. "I'm pleased that so many of my Senate colleagues have recognized the importance of this moment and joined us in this effort to demonstrate our commitment to working together to get all three deals passed as soon as possible."
House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, and Representative Camp have told the Administration their plan is to proceed similarly to the Senate, with TAA on its own. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Vice President of International Affairs John Murphy says they are organizing a House-side door knock to visit as many offices as possible. Murphy says a deal hasn't been reached on a clear path forward, but it's clear they are making progress.
"Our country is in a fiscal crisis and export promotion is one of the few budget-neutral tools available to help spur job growth," said Portman. "That's why advancing job creating agreements with Korea, Colombia and Panama that expand exports is so urgent and timely. If we aren't moving forward in the global economy, we're falling behind. It's time for the President to submit these agreements. We can pass TAA and these export agreements in separate votes, and we can get them passed now."
Colombia, Panama and South Korea FTA supporters, including those in agriculture, hope Congress will pass the agreements before summer recess.
Permalink: Click here
Tagged: fta
|