House leader sees chance for Colombia trade deal

By Richard Cowan

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democratic leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives want to pass a Colombia free trade agreement this year, but problems with the deal and legislation to help displaced workers still must be worked out, House Majority Whip James Clyburn said on Thursday.

"We want to do this," said Clyburn of South Carolina, the third-ranking Democrat in the House. He added: "I would suspect that if the legislation gets in good enough shape that she (House Speaker Nancy Pelosi) feels comfortable bringing it to the floor, I'm almost sure it will pass."

Clyburn made his remarks to reporters after delivering a speech to a private group on this year's legislative agenda.

Rep. Jim McCrery of Louisiana, the senior Republican on the House Ways and Means Committee, which oversees trade deals, told the same group the Bush administration might formally submit the Colombia free trade deal to Congress next week, setting off a 90-day timetable for Congress to act on it.

If Congress does not debate the measure this year it likely would face tougher prospects next year, when more anti-trade Democrats could populate the House and Senate following November's election, McCrery said.

But Pelosi, a California Democrat who favors some legislative changes, told reporters, "I have not been informed by the administration that they will be sending up the legislation next week. I don't recommend it."

The Colombia trade agreement would lock in that country's current duty-free access to the U.S. market for most of its goods and require Colombia to remove tariffs on U.S. exports and make other reforms to create a friendlier business environment for U.S. companies.

Democrats in Congress, including Pelosi, have noted concerns about labor and environmental protections that have been negotiated in the free-trade deal with Colombia. The Bush administration has warned that rejecting the pact would hurt a strong U.S. ally in a volatile region of Latin America.

Clyburn said that if Congress and the White House are able to agree on complementary legislation providing more help to U.S. workers who lose jobs because of foreign goods, known as trade adjustment assistance, that would help the Colombia trade deal move through Congress.

Clyburn, who is responsible for rounding up enough Democratic votes to pass legislation on the House floor, said he met on Wednesday with Democratic chairmen and other House leaders to discuss the Colombia bill.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer of Maryland remains undecided on whether to back the deal, a spokeswoman said.

(Additional reporting by Thomas Ferraro, editing by Patricia Zengerle)