U.S. House Set to Vote on Delaying Colombian Trade Agreement

April 10 (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. House of Representatives is poised today to eliminate a deadline for action on a free-trade agreement with Colombia, defying President George W. Bush's demand that Congress swiftly ratify the accord.

The unprecedented House vote would drop a 90-day deadline for action on the trade agreement, which Bush submitted to Congress this week. Eliminating the deadline would allow Democrats to postpone a vote on the politically sensitive accord until after the November elections.

The Bush administration and Republicans say that removing the deadline would anger Colombia, undermine efforts to approve pending trade agreements with South Korea and Panama, and discourage other trading partners from negotiating accords with the U.S.

``This is basically going to tell the world that you shouldn't trust the United States of America,'' David Dreier, the top Republican on the House Rules Committee, said yesterday.

Dreier said the bid to eliminate the deadline would likely pass the House, even though the Colombia accord has enough support to be ratified.

If the plan is approved by the Democratic majority in the House, it would be the first time Congress hasn't taken up -- and passed -- a trade agreement submitted by a president. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is responding to widespread opposition to the accord among her Democratic colleagues and organized labor over what they call unacceptable levels of violence against union organizers in Colombia.

Clinton, Obama

Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama oppose the accord, too. Some Democrats say such accords contribute to the loss of jobs in the U.S.

Democrats said that they don't want to kill the agreement, only postpone its consideration while Colombia works to reduce violence against labor organizers.

Democrats said Bush was urged this week not to submit the agreement to Congress.

``This move is a direct response to the arrogance of the president,'' Massachusetts Democrat Jim McGovern said yesterday.

Under the rules of ``fast-track'' authority, the House of Representatives has 60 legislative days to hold a vote on the deal and the Senate 30 days beyond that. The rules say neither body can amend or block a vote on the bill, a requirement that reassures trading partners that the deals they sign with a president aren't rewritten in Congress.

Change the Rules

Still, one passage in the legislation says the House can change its own rules. Pelosi said if the House votes to remove the time requirement, it won't be reconsidered until Democrats and the White House ``have figured out how to protect America's workers.''

Pelosi and Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus say Bush must first sign a measure to expand aid to workers who lose their jobs because of import competition. Bush says he is willing to work with lawmakers to improve that aid.

The Bush administration has led an unprecedented lobbying campaign on its behalf, with Cabinet members taking 55 lawmakers on visits to Colombia.

Bush has said that Colombia has taken dramatic action to cut down on violence, restore law and order and overhaul the Colombian economy.

Still, U.S. unions say their counterparts in Colombia are subject to an unacceptable level of violence.

So far this year, 17 union organizers have been killed in Colombia compared with 26 for all of last year. Such killings reached a peak of 196 in 2002, according to the Colombian government. More union organizers are killed in Colombia than any other nation.