House Democrats indefinitely shelved a free-trade pact with Colombia yesterday, striking a blow to big businesses and President Bush who said the deal would boost the U.S. economy.
Democratic leaders said they needed more time to evaluate an agreement brokered by the Bush administration in late 2006. They also said they wanted more assurances that the Colombian government was doing everything it could to reduce a wave of violence against workers and union activists in their country.
House Republicans said the Democrats’ move effectively kills a deal that would erase unfairly high tariffs on U.S. goods exported to Colombia.
The Democrats’ action also denies President Bush a significant foreign-policy victory during his last months in office.
“Rather than supporting the opening of markets for our farmers and manufacturers, Democratic congressional leaders instead listened to narrow special interests and followed an isolationist path,” Mr. Bush said. “Colombia is one of our strongest allies in the Western Hemisphere.”
Mr. Bush sent the trade pact to the House on Tuesday under so-called “fast-track” authority that requires the chamber to vote on the measure within 60 legislative days. If approved, the Senate would have 30 days to vote.
But House Democratic leaders yesterday pushed through a rules change to drop the 60-day vote requirement. The measure passed 224-195. Only six Republicans supported waiving the timetable, while 10 Democrats voted no.
Democrats said Mr. Bush violated the protocol of fast-tracked deals by sending an agreement to the House without the backing of the majority party. They added they have a parliamentary right to ask for a change in the voting timetable.
“I have said to the administration over and over again it will be very difficult to pass a trade bill until we put forth a positive economic agenda for the American people,” said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, California Democrat. “So what happened today is the leverage came back to working people in our country.”
House Republican leaders say denying the trade agreement will hurt U.S. credibility throughout Latin America.
“The consequence of the House’s action today is to jeopardize any future trade agreements for the remainder of this Congress,” said House Minority Whip Roy Blunt, Missouri Republican. The trade pact “deserves a real, up-or-down vote by Congress — not procedural games.”
Republicans also accused Democrats of bowing to pressure from labor groups, who strongly oppose the trade pact.
“Such political pandering threatens our national and economic security at the absolute worst time,” said Rep. Tom Price, Georgia Republican.
Some political analysts also worry that the House’s action could harm a major free-trade deal that is pending with South Korea.
“The Columbia vote is like a bomb blast that may send shock waves seriously affecting Korea Free Trade Agreement,” said Ron Bonjean, who served as an aide to former House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert, Illinois Republican, and former Secretary of Commerce Don Evans.
The scuttling of the Colombian trade pact also could kill a rumored lifting of Korea’s ban on U.S. beef, Mr. Bonjean added.
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