Politics

Connie Mack Demands Obama Submit Free-Trade Agreements by July 29

Deals with South Korea, Colombia and Panama remain in legislative limbo

By: Kevin Derby | Posted: July 16, 2011 3:55 AM

Around the State

Connie Mack | Credit: Flickr- Gage Skidmore

Florida Republican Congressman Connie Mack continued to lead the fight this week to get President Barack Obama to forward free-trade agreements with South Korea, Colombia and Panama to Congress.

While the agreements had been set, the White House delayed sending them as they sought Congress to reform the federal Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) program, which helps American workers who lose their jobs due to increased trade. Despite an announcement in early April that an agreement had been reached, the White House and the Republican-controlled U.S. House are blaming each other for the lack of progress.

Speaking at the White House earlier in the month on the release of the jobs report, Obama insisted that the free-trade agreements could help jump-start the economy.

“Congress can advance trade agreements that will help businesses sell more American-made goods and services to Asia and South America, supporting thousands of jobs here at home,” said Obama. “That could be done right now.

“There are bills and trade agreements before Congress right now that could get all these ideas moving,” added Obama. “All of them have bipartisan support. All of them could pass immediately. And I urge Congress not to wait. The American people need us to do everything we can to help strengthen this economy and make sure that we are producing more jobs.”

Obama returned to the subject on Friday, insisting that Republicans in Congress did not wish to back the TAA reforms and were holding up the trade agreements.

From his perch as chairman of the U.S. House Western Hemisphere Subcommittee, Mack fired back this week, sending letters to Obama and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Wednesday demanding the agreements be released by the end of the month.

“As chairman of the Western Hemisphere Subcommittee, and in light of the focus on the debt-ceiling vote, I am writing to urge you to send the pending free-trade agreements with South Korea, Colombia, and Panama to Congress by July 29th,” wrote Mack, who agreed with the president that the agreements could help the economy. “In the midst of the debt-ceiling debate and an increase in unemployment, yesterday it was announced that America’s trade deficit increased by 15.1 percent in May to $50.2 billion, bringing our deficit to the highest it has been in almost three years. Our nation’s access to international markets and the wealth of our nation are directly related. Your delay in passage of these agreements closes off key export markets and continues to bring harm to our economy.

“As you know, once the agreements are presented to Congress there is a 45-day requirement to allow the agreements to work their way through committee procedures, followed by a 15-day limit on passage of these agreements through both houses. As you also know, if Congress does not receive these agreements before the August recess, we will lose vital job growth and allies in our hemisphere,” continued Mack. “For too many years I’ve watched these free-trade agreements languish in political quicksand. With the August recess and election season just around the corner, these agreements must be sent to Congress by July 29th.

“Many of us around the nation refuse to sit back and let past failures be repeated in regard to the three pending free-trade agreements,” wrote Mack in closing. “We urge you to act today for the American people.”

Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859.

Tags: Barack Obama, Colombia, Congress, Connie Mack, Free Trade, Hillary Clinton, News, Panama, South Korea, Trade Adjustment Assistance, Politics

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Markis

11:03AM JUL 16TH 2011

Congress can advance trade agreements that will help businesses sell more American-made goods and services to Asia and South America, supporting thousands of jobs here at home,” ...WHAT JOBS!!!!!

Markis

10:57AM JUL 16TH 2011

NAFTA anyone ?? FTAs are killing this country...

Jake

5:23PM JUL 16TH 2011

This shows how ignorant most people are about FTAs, if negotiated and enacted properly, these EXPAND the US economy by reducing tarrifs on imported sourced materials, and increasing export of AMERICAN MADE products into other countries. NAFTA actually increased GDP in the first 10 years. The full economic impact is difficult to assess. The reason it has such a bad name is that it was blamed for outsourcing of American jobs to Mexico as a political stunt. It is easy to argue this because there is little fact. It is great to Connie Mack to "demand" that the president immediately introduces this legislature. Many of these agreements sit in CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES, namely the House Ways and Means, and the Senate Finance. There was a mock up of the Columbia FTA scheduled in order to fast track this FTA to the Congressional Floor berofe the recess. Mack's counterparts boycotted the meeting, stalling it. This has little to do with our extremely partisan congress actually accomplishing work that matters to real Americans, and everything to do with political posturing and cheap potshots in election years.