House to alter voting rules

House Democratic leaders said yesterday that they will seek a change in House rules to thwart President Bush’s push on a free-trade agreement with Colombia, drawing charges of “cheating” from Republicans.

Democrats, who control the chamber, say the pact could cost U.S. jobs, harm the economy and reward a government in the South American country that has not curbed violence against workers and union activists.

The administration brokered the free-trade agrement in late 2006. Most Capitol Hill Republicans and big businesses support the deal, saying it would reduce unfairly high tariffs on U.S. goods exported to Colombia.

Mr. Bush sent the trade pact to the House on Tuesday under so-called “fast-track” rules that require the chamber to vote on the measure within 60 legislative days. If approved, the measure would go to the Senate, which would have 30 days to vote.

House Democratic leaders said they will introduce a measure today to drop the 60-day vote requirement.

“I take this action with deep respect to the people of Colombia and will be sure that any message they receive is one of respect for their country,” said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, California Democrat.

House Minority Leader John A. Boehner, Ohio Republican, called the Democrats’ move “cheating” and said it will wreak havoc on future trade negotiations.

“What nation would conclude a treaty with the United States knowing that Congress can change the rules?” he said.

White House press secretary Dana Perino said Mrs. Pelosi was trying to do something “unprecedented in the history of negotiating trade deals in announcing that Democrats would change the rules in the middle of the game.”

“It is clear that there are many in the Democratic Party who would like to kill this deal and they want to do so without having to have their fingerprints on it,” Mrs. Perino said.

Democrats said they have a parliamentary right to ask for a change in the voting timetable.

“This is consistent with the rules. My definition of cheating is when you don’t plan by the rules,” said House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer, Maryland Democrat. “There is no cheating here.”

Mr. Hoyer said the president, not Capitol Hill Democrats, violated the spirit of fast-tract agreements by sending Congress a deal against the will of the majority party.

“Clearly the administration knew that we had not reached an agreement” on the trade deal, Mr. Hoyer said.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which supports the trade pact, urged House members to reject any measure that could leave the Colombian agreement in legislative limbo.

“At a time of uncertainty for the U.S. economy, politics must stop at the water’s edge,” said R. Bruce Josten, the chamber’s executive vice president for government affairs.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said a rejection of the trade pact would do “very serious harm” to U.S. credibility in Latin America.

Democratic leaders said Congress needed more time to work out problems with the Colombia trade deal, particularly in regard to protections against violence for Colombian workers.

U.S. labor groups oppose the trade agreement, saying it rewards the Colombian government for its “indifference” toward violence against union members. They noted that several related killings were reported in the country in recent months.