Paulson ready to talk trade with Pelosi

By Doug Palmer

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said he is willing to talk with House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi about new legislation to help the U.S. economy to try to set up a vote on the Colombia free-trade agreement.

"I look forward to ... talking to her," Paulson told Reuters in an interview on Thursday. "I think the last time I talked with her was last Tuesday. She said she was going to call me back with some ideas. I'm always willing to listen and I would very much like to see Colombia get done."

President George W. Bush has accused Pelosi of effectively killing the trade agreement by pushing through a vote in the House to indefinitely delay action on the pact.

Since then, Pelosi has said she is willing to talk with the administration about scheduling a vote, but only if other domestic economic concerns are addressed first.

"I look forward to working with you, the Bush administration, and our congressional colleagues on an economic recovery package that will be enacted swiftly," Pelosi said in a letter on Wednesday in response to a Republican request for her demands for moving the Colombia trade pact.

The U.S. Treasury will start sending tax rebate checks to Americans next week, as part of a $152 billion economic stimulus package in February.

Paulson stopped well short of committing the administration to a second economic stimulus package, but said he was open to "talking about all the legislative priorities" with Pelosi.

"With Colombia we've always said that we recognize the trade adjustment assistance is important. We need reformed TAA and the administration recognizes the two go together and are willing to move the bar on TAA," Paulson said.