Baucus says vote on Colombian FTA could happen in June

Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) said Wednesday that he expects Congress could take a June vote on the Colombian free trade agreement. 

Colombia is expected to complete its second batch of labor-related issue requirements by June 15, reaching a point at which the Obama administration will be prepared to formally submit the accord to Congress for a vote, Baucus said. 

"We are now poised to approve our FTAs with Colombia, Panama, and Korea," Baucus said during a hearing Wednesday morning. 

Colombia's third deadline is Dec. 15, and once Colombia implements those commitments, and others related to the FTA, "the administration will certify to Congress that Colombia has taken the necessary steps to allow the FTA to enter into force," Baucus said. 

"So let us work together to implement the Labor Action Plan," he said. "Let us move forward quickly and approve the FTA." 

Baucus, who traveled to Colombia in February, said Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos has agreed to a series of concrete steps to strengthen labor rights, improve protection of workers from violence and increase prosecutions of the perpetrators of violence.

The U.S.-Colombia accord "is far stronger" than trade agreements with other countries, including Canada and the European Union, Baucus said.

As part of the ongoing work on the trade deal, Miriam Sapiro, deputy U.S. Trade Representative, said she'll meet Friday with Colombian trade officials in Washington to discuss implementation of the action plan. 

A week ago, U.S. trade officials cleared the way for congressional review of all three pending free trade agreements with South Korea, Colombia and Panama. 

Trade officials had announced the deal with Colombia last month but made the agreement contingent on the government's fulfillment of several more requirements regarding the nation's labor laws before allowing Congress and the White House to begin technical discussions. 

The United States exported goods $12 billion worth of goods to Colombia last year, the third-largest market in South America, Baucus said.  

The International Trade Commission estimates this agreement will boost the U.S. economy by $2.5 billion.

"Rather than compete, our economies complement each other," Baucus said.  

"Colombia buys wheat, cars, machinery and aircraft from the United States. We buy flowers, coffee, oil and clothing from Colombia," he said. "Our economic relationship with Colombia has helped U.S. businesses grow and has created jobs for American workers." 

Along with work beginning on the agreements, the administration and Baucus are taking a more aggressive tack on a broader trade agenda including the reauthorization of the Trade Adjustment Assistance program (TAA), which helps U.S workers who've lost their jobs because of foreign trade, and the Andean Trade Preferences Act (ATPA), as part of an effort to stop the illegal narcotics trade, includes the renewal of trade preference programs and Permanent Normal Trade Relations for Russia as that country joins the World Trade Organization.

'Let us extend Trade Adjustment Assistance," Baucus said. "And let us create new opportunities that will improve the economies and the lives of people in both of our countries."