House GOP Frames Colombia Free-Trade Deal as National Security Issue

WASHINGTON, April 3, 2008 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following is being
issued by the Office of House Republican Whip Roy Blunt. It was written by
Timothy R. Homan and is from CQ TODAY-TRADE:

In an effort to drum up support for the pending Colombia free-trade agreement,
House Republican leadership has said a vote against that pact would alienate a
U.S. ally in the region and signal support for Venezuelan President Hugo
Chavez and his anti-American policies.

Minority Whip Roy Blunt, R-Mo., said Wednesday he has created a GOP whip team
to build bipartisan support for the trade agreement, which faces vehement
opposition from Democrats who say the Colombian government has not done enough
to reduce violence against union leaders there.

The Bush administration is expected to send the trade measure to Congress next
week, but a House floor vote might not happen until the end of July.

Blunt said Republicans will frame the debate in terms of national security and
whether members support Colombian President Alvaro Uribe or Chavez, whose
government has been accused of supporting rebels in Colombia.

"Uribe is working with the United States, cooperating with the United States
and trading with the United States," Blunt said.

Sander M. Levin, D-Mich., the chairman of the Ways and Means Subcommittee on
Trade, said there is "overwhelming opposition" to the trade pact in his party.
"The onus has been on Colombia to really establish some benchmarks of
achievement," Levin said.

Blunt said he has been "talking to lots of Democrats," but he didn't mention
any specific members, noting "I'm not sure it's helpful to them for me to put
their names out. ... There has been a significant effort to reach out to
Democrats for 15 months."

GOP lawmakers say steps have been taken by Colombia to limit violence.
Previously, supporters of the trade deal have argued that the measure would
level the playing field in terms of U.S. exports to Colombia.

The deal would expand market access for U.S. companies by immediately
eliminating tariffs on more than 80 percent of Colombian-bound exports of
industrial and consumer goods.

Colombia, Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru already receive duty-free treatment on
many U.S.-bound exports because of recently renewed trade preferences to the
Andean nations (PL 110-191).

The Colombia pact was signed in November 2006 under fast-track negotiating
rules (PL 107-210), meaning the White House can send implementing language to
Congress and force an up-or-down vote from both chambers within 90 legislative
days after Congress' receipt of the measure. Fast-track authority expired June
30, 2007.

A final Senate vote would occur in September if both chambers make use of the
maximum number of days allotted under fast-track rules.

"If you want to ensure it's voted on this year, you have to send it up next
week, unless you have a commitment" from the Democratic leadership to bring
the accord up for a floor vote well before the deadline, Blunt said.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., has said expansion and implementation of Trade
Adjustment Assistance -- a program to help workers left jobless by foreign
competition -- must precede consideration of the Colombia pact.

Last year, the administration issued a veto threat against the House-passed
TAA expansion measure (HR 3920), saying it would create "a universal income
support and training program."

Several House Democrats were skeptical of the administration's plans to send
the Colombia bill to the Hill.

"I don't know really whether they [the administration] want to take a gamble
and have this to lose on the floor," House Ways and Means Chairman Charles B.
Rangel, D-N.Y., told reporters Wednesday.

The House has never rejected a free-trade agreement in a floor vote.

Even Democratic supporters of the Colombia pact said President Bush should
continue talks with the Democratic leadership to gain support before sending
the bill to Congress.

"I still hold out hope that he doesn't use the nuclear option," said Rep.
Gregory W. Meeks, D-N.Y., referring to the measure being sent to Congress
under fast-track rules.

The House must act on the measure first because it affects revenue.

Edward Epstein and Richard Rubin contributed to this story.

SOURCE House Republican Whip Roy Blunt

Nick Simpson, Antonia Ferrier, or Chris Tucker, +1-202-226-7022, all of the
Office of House Republican Whip Roy Blunt