House lawmakers are confident that Colombia will quickly complete a checklist of labor related issues so Congress can move forward with consideration of all three pending free-trade agreements.
After two days of meeting with Colombian leaders this week, House Ways and Means Chairman Dave Camp (R-Mich.) said he is optimistic that Colombia will quickly complete all stages of a 10-point plan laid out with U.S. trade officials.
"Colombia’s rapid progress sets the stage for what we hope will be the administration’s decision to move forward now with technical discussions on the trade agreement and to ensure that Congress is able to consider all three of our pending trade agreements by July 1,” Camp said Wednesday in a statement.
Camp said he's impressed with Colombia's "commitment and action" on the labor rights action plan and that the government already has submitted all items due April 22.
"This is a promising moment for the United States and Colombia because the long, hard work by Colombia and U.S. supporters of our pending trade agreement is paying off," he said.
Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos expressed his desire for Congress to quickly move forward with the agreement after meeting with lawmakers this week.
Camp and other House Republicans are pressing the Obama administration to complete work on all three pending trade agreements South Korea, Colombia and Panama by July 1.
"Colombia is a critical ally to the United States, and I strongly believe it is in our economic and national security interests to strengthen our ties by moving the Agreement forward," said House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), who was part of the six-member congressional delegation.
"Colombia has made significant progress in addressing worker rights and violence against workers, and I look forward to continuing to work with Colombia on what needs to be done so that we can advance this agreement and the other two pending trade agreements very soon.”
President Obama and Santos shook hands April 7 on a deal that "significantly" expands the protections of labor leaders and organizers while improving efforts to punish those who commit acts of violence against union members, according to U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk.
Technical discussions on the South Korea and Panama accords have begun, and U.S. trade officials told reporters on Tuesday that they will monitor Colombia's progress on the so called labor rights action plan to determine when the deal is ready to move forward.
On Tuesday, Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Miriam Sapiro said the Colombia agreement "paves the way to consider the next step but first we have to make sure that goals in that agreement are being met."
Administration officials said Tuesday that they are talking with congressional leaders on how to sequence, time and package the trade agenda.
Meanwhile, Kirk said Wednesday it is “highly unlikely” the Obama administration would send three pending trade deals in one legislative package to Congress.
Several congressional Republicans have urged the administration to have all three trade deals ready at the same time.
Senate Finance ranking member Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio), formerly a U.S. trade representative, have said they want the pacts lined up so Congress can vote on each in quick succession.
They said they don't expect the agreements to be packaged together for one vote.
With the heavy lifting nearly complete on the trade deals, the Obama administration also is pressing for passing elements of a broader trade agenda.
The White House is asking Congress to reauthorize the Trade Adjustment Assistance program, which helps U.S workers who have lost their jobs because of foreign trade, and Andean Trade Preferences Act.
It also hopes to start discussions on lifting trade restrictions with Russia as it seeks to join the World Trade Organization.
Hatch has said he's "open to more dialogue on a broader trade agenda," although he doesn't want any "preconditions."
Portman has argued that moving the trade agreements would allow the administration's overall agenda to accelerate.
On Monday, Camp, Hoyer and four other lawmakers Ways and Means subcommittee on Trade Chairman Kevin Brady (R-Texas), Colombia Caucus Co-Chairman Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.), Colombia Caucus Co-Chairman and subcommittee on Trade member Adrian Smith (R-Neb.) and Trade subcommittee member Aaron Schock (R-Ill.) left for two days of meetings with Colombian officials.
Under the plan brokered by U.S. and Colombian trade officials, Colombia will follow a roadmap to make incremental changes to its labor laws this year including providing greater protections for union leaders, such as shop stewards and bargaining committee members, for workers trying to organize or join a union, and for former union activists who may be threatened because of their past activities.
The plan also requires the Colombian government to revise its teacher relocation and protection program to address high risks to teachers, require sentences of up to five years in jail for threats against labor union workers and direct the Colombian National Police to assign 95 full-time judicial police investigators to help in prosecution.
Although Kirk said the plan should quell union concerns over the effect on U.S. jobs, the AFL-CIO has expressed deep disappointment with the decision, which pits Obama against a core part of his political base the same week he announced his 2012 reelection campaign.
“The action plan does not go nearly far enough in laying out concrete benchmarks for progress in the areas of violence and impunity, nor does it address many of the ways in which Colombian labor law falls short of international standards,” AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka said recently.
After two days of meeting with Colombian leaders this week, House Ways and Means Chairman Dave Camp (R-Mich.) said he is optimistic that Colombia will quickly complete all stages of a 10-point plan laid out with U.S. trade officials.
"Colombia’s rapid progress sets the stage for what we hope will be the administration’s decision to move forward now with technical discussions on the trade agreement and to ensure that Congress is able to consider all three of our pending trade agreements by July 1,” Camp said Wednesday in a statement.
Camp said he's impressed with Colombia's "commitment and action" on the labor rights action plan and that the government already has submitted all items due April 22.
"This is a promising moment for the United States and Colombia because the long, hard work by Colombia and U.S. supporters of our pending trade agreement is paying off," he said.
Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos expressed his desire for Congress to quickly move forward with the agreement after meeting with lawmakers this week.
Camp and other House Republicans are pressing the Obama administration to complete work on all three pending trade agreements South Korea, Colombia and Panama by July 1.
"Colombia is a critical ally to the United States, and I strongly believe it is in our economic and national security interests to strengthen our ties by moving the Agreement forward," said House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), who was part of the six-member congressional delegation.
"Colombia has made significant progress in addressing worker rights and violence against workers, and I look forward to continuing to work with Colombia on what needs to be done so that we can advance this agreement and the other two pending trade agreements very soon.”
President Obama and Santos shook hands April 7 on a deal that "significantly" expands the protections of labor leaders and organizers while improving efforts to punish those who commit acts of violence against union members, according to U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk.
Technical discussions on the South Korea and Panama accords have begun, and U.S. trade officials told reporters on Tuesday that they will monitor Colombia's progress on the so called labor rights action plan to determine when the deal is ready to move forward.
On Tuesday, Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Miriam Sapiro said the Colombia agreement "paves the way to consider the next step but first we have to make sure that goals in that agreement are being met."
Administration officials said Tuesday that they are talking with congressional leaders on how to sequence, time and package the trade agenda.
Meanwhile, Kirk said Wednesday it is “highly unlikely” the Obama administration would send three pending trade deals in one legislative package to Congress.
Several congressional Republicans have urged the administration to have all three trade deals ready at the same time.
Senate Finance ranking member Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio), formerly a U.S. trade representative, have said they want the pacts lined up so Congress can vote on each in quick succession.
They said they don't expect the agreements to be packaged together for one vote.
With the heavy lifting nearly complete on the trade deals, the Obama administration also is pressing for passing elements of a broader trade agenda.
The White House is asking Congress to reauthorize the Trade Adjustment Assistance program, which helps U.S workers who have lost their jobs because of foreign trade, and Andean Trade Preferences Act.
It also hopes to start discussions on lifting trade restrictions with Russia as it seeks to join the World Trade Organization.
Hatch has said he's "open to more dialogue on a broader trade agenda," although he doesn't want any "preconditions."
Portman has argued that moving the trade agreements would allow the administration's overall agenda to accelerate.
On Monday, Camp, Hoyer and four other lawmakers Ways and Means subcommittee on Trade Chairman Kevin Brady (R-Texas), Colombia Caucus Co-Chairman Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.), Colombia Caucus Co-Chairman and subcommittee on Trade member Adrian Smith (R-Neb.) and Trade subcommittee member Aaron Schock (R-Ill.) left for two days of meetings with Colombian officials.
Under the plan brokered by U.S. and Colombian trade officials, Colombia will follow a roadmap to make incremental changes to its labor laws this year including providing greater protections for union leaders, such as shop stewards and bargaining committee members, for workers trying to organize or join a union, and for former union activists who may be threatened because of their past activities.
The plan also requires the Colombian government to revise its teacher relocation and protection program to address high risks to teachers, require sentences of up to five years in jail for threats against labor union workers and direct the Colombian National Police to assign 95 full-time judicial police investigators to help in prosecution.
Although Kirk said the plan should quell union concerns over the effect on U.S. jobs, the AFL-CIO has expressed deep disappointment with the decision, which pits Obama against a core part of his political base the same week he announced his 2012 reelection campaign.
“The action plan does not go nearly far enough in laying out concrete benchmarks for progress in the areas of violence and impunity, nor does it address many of the ways in which Colombian labor law falls short of international standards,” AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka said recently.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thanks for your visit, hope you enjoy the content, we expect to see you again soon.