Vern Buchanan | republicanconference- Flickr

Both chambers of Congress voted late Wednesday to approve long-stalled free-trade agreements with Colombia, Panama and South Korea.

The measure with Panama passed 300-129 in the House and 77-22 in the Senate. The measure with South Korea passed 278-151 in the House and 83-15 in the Senate. The deal with Colombia garnered the most opposition but still passed 262-167 in the House and 66-33 in the Senate.

The measures had been delayed as the White House negotiated with Congress over continuing funding of the federal Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) program, which provides benefits for American workers who lose their jobs due to international trade agreements.

With President Barack Obama releasing the treaties to Congress earlier in the week, the White House expressed support for the trade measures on Wednesday.

"We're very pleased that today Congress is taking up three important trade agreements that will help strengthen our economy and create jobs,” said White House spokesman Jay Carney. “As you know, the president has strongly supported these trade agreements and, in fact, worked very hard to get the best possible trade agreement with South Korea, and we're glad to see that Congress is taking them up.”

Republicans in the Florida delegation called the passage of the agreements a big win for the national economy and for the Sunshine State.

“Florida’s 14 deepwater seaports generate over $65 billion in economic value to the state,” said Florida Republican U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan. As the chairman of the Panama Caucus and as the state’s only congressman serving on the Ways and Means Committee, Buchanan played a large role in guiding the measures through Congress. “We have an opportunity to generate thousands of jobs right here in our backyard.”

From his perch on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, U.S. Rep. David Rivera, R-Fla., also supported the measures.

“This day has been long in coming,” Rivera said in a statement. “The approval of the free-trade agreements with Colombia, Panama and South Korea will open up new markets for American companies that will help job creators hire new employees and grow their businesses. Today we not only took a positive step for our economy, we took a positive step for our foreign policy. By expanding trade avenues with friends in Latin America and Asia, we sent a message that America stands with its allies.

“In an ever more globalized economy, free trade is integral to promoting economic growth. Free trade will create more American jobs and raises the standard of living in the United States and abroad. As the representative with the largest Colombian-American population of any district in the United States, I feel a special connection to the Colombia Free-Trade Agreement,” Rivera added. “Colombia is our best and strongest ally in Latin America and the oldest functioning democracy in the region. Their democracy has withstood terrorism and civil war and I have seen firsthand that the Colombian people are determined to be full partners in the global economy and they have shown great enthusiasm about trading with the United States."

Insisted Rivera, “The Colombia Free-Trade Agreement will create jobs in the United States, especially in South Florida. It will immediately boost U.S. exports to Colombia and U.S. GDP would increase by roughly $2.5 billion and exports by more than a billion dollars. After years of delay, I am proud that Republicans and Democrats in the House of the 112th Congress came together to approve the free-trade agreements with Colombia, Panama and South Korea.”

There was some opposition in the Florida delegation, including that of Democrat U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch.