Swift Action Taken on Pending FTAs
House Ways and Means Committee passes free trade agreements.
Jason Vance
Published: Oct 6, 2011
The urging of a myriad of agricultural organizations for swift action following President Obama sending the pending free trade agreements with South Korea, Panama, and Colombia to Congress on Monday apparently fell on fertile ground. Wednesday the House Ways and Means Committee took up all three of the trade deals and passed them out of committee. The South Korea deal was passed 31-5, Panama 32-3 and Colombia 24-12.
Earlier this week Speaker of the House John Boehner, R-Ohio, said that these pending free trade agreements were the "top priority" in the House. It looks like Ways and Means took that message to heart. Committee Chairman Dave Camp, R-Mich., issued a statement following the committee's approval of the three free trade agreements.
"Today has been five years in the making and could not come at a better time for American workers, consumers and businesses," Camp said. "The agreements with Colombia, Panama and South Korea will help create and support 250,000 American jobs and add over $10 billion to our gross domestic product – all without adding one dime in new government spending. I look forward to the quick passage of these trade agreements and the TAA-GSP bill by the House."
House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., announced that the House is likely to vote on the agreements next week.
"We welcome the chance to help get our economy back on track, get people back to work and put our country on even footing with our foreign competitors," Cantor said. "Moving forward on these agreements will provide manufacturers with the help they need to increase exports and increase production. The more manufacturers produce, the more workers they need and that means job creation."
While the House has moved quickly to enact these free trade agreements that have been on hold since the Bush Administration, there is uncertainty about when the U.S. Senate will take up the agreements. The timeframe is now in the hands of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.
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