House votes to delay Colombia trade pact

[bemildred]

Source: Reuters

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The House of Representatives voted on Thursday to indefinitely delay action on a free trade agreement with Colombia, a move the White House said it feared would kill the pact.

"The House Democratic leadership has now slapped around a major U.S. ally," U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab told reporters after the vote. "This is the Democratic leadership's version of foreign policy."

The House voted 224-195 to indefinitely delay consideration of the pact by eliminating a requirement that Congress approve or reject the controversial trade deal within 90 days, including a 60-day deadline for House action.

The House vote was a victory for U.S. labor groups, a key Democratic Party constituency that strongly opposes the pact on grounds that Colombia has not done enough to stop killings of trade unionists and bring their murderers to justice.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSN1036066420080410

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:applause::applause:

[sinkingfeeling]

1. Good for the House!

[jody]

2. A federal jury said Drummond, an Alabama-based coal company, was not liable for the deaths of three

union leaders at its mine near La Loma, Colombia, in 2001 but I'm not sure Colombia workers agree.

I see no reason to agree to a free trade pact with Colombia as long as labor organizations are abused.

[gratuitous]

3. Excellent news

This is indeed leadership in foreign policy, and puts places like Colombia on notice that the United States is going to get a little more serious next year about labor rights and environmental considerations, unlike the current administration.

The legislation came from the Bush administration with its own poison pill, couldn't be amended, and had to be voted on within 60 days. The House told Bush to take a flying leap at a rolling donut. No wonder Susan Schwab is pissed. Open defiance of the Boy King, so long in coming, will not bring about any backlash and Democrats will soon be wondering why they were so hesitant to poke him in the eye.

Or so I hope.

[SpiralHawk]

4. Why does Reuters lead with a critical quote from a republicon homelander?

Why not a quote from a House member on why they did what they did, and then a critical quote?

Sheesh. Corporate media propaganda.

[rateyes]

5. Get thee to the greatest page. nt

[Life Long Dem]

6. Yeah, until when?

[Joanne98]

7. Now take those 195 republicans and use it against them in November.

Even conservative voters hate the trade agreements.

[pleah]

8. K&R

Good new.:smoke: :applause:

[pinto]

9. Nice move, imho.

:thumbsup: :thumbsup:

[blayne]

10. I'll bet Penn is regretting his trip now.

Do you think anyone would have noticed this bill or cared if Penn hadn't been busted for going on that trip?

[ToughLuck]

11. So Pelosi only stalled it because she wants to strong arm Bush

on other legislation...this means she doesn't give a damn about being for FairTrade then I guess.

I have a grudge against her about impeachment, and she needs to be removed. I hate the thought of Obama in the White House and her and Reid still in their same positions of power.

[Judi Lynn]

12. Great news. Anything less is morally indefensible. n/t

[struggle4progress]

13. U.S. House Delays Action on Colombian Trade Accord (Update4)

... In an unprecedented move, lawmakers voted .. to drop a requirement for a final vote within 90 days. Eliminating the deadline allows Democrats to postpone a decision on the pact until after the November elections ... It is the first time Congress hasn't taken up -- and passed -- a trade agreement submitted by a president ... http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=a7IZXBymdz7c&refer=home


Keeping Score on the Colombia Trade Pact
... The .. vote in favor of the rule change broke down mostly along party lines, with just 10 Democrats voting no and six Republicans voting yes. Such partisan unity is to be expected on a procedural vote, but this one was different -- it was "scored" ... by dozens of pro-trade and pro-business groups, including heavyweights like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers ... All 10 of the Democrats who voted against today's rule change are .. New Democrats or .. Blue Dogs ... http://blog.washingtonpost.com/capitol-briefing/2008/04/keeping_score_on_colombia.html?hpid=moreheadlines

House vote on Colombia trade pact give Pelosi some leverage with White House
... "The leverage is back with the American people," Pelosi said, "not with the president of the United States ... Now we can talk" ... http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/04/10/MN1L103BP3.DTL

House Votes to Put Off Trade Deal Bush Sought
... House Republicans referred sarcastically to the Democratic plan to remove a 90-day deadline for considering the agreement as the “Hugo Chávez rule” ... http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/11/business/11trade.html?_r=1&ref=business&oref=slogin