During the recess, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell announced they would hold votes on crucial trade agreements. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor quite properly said he would not hesitate to schedule votes when the agreements officially arrive in Congress. The soybean editorial above indicates the value of global trade.
Free trade pacts between the U.S. and South Korea, Colombia and Panama have languished for many months. Unionists opposed the deal with Colombia with unenlightened vigor. A sticking point regarding all three has been the Trade Adjustment Assistance program, which grants aid to workers displaced by foreign competition.
The Reid-McConnell agreement would hold separate roll calls. The Senate would vote on TAA before proceeding to the trade pacts. Politico.com reports that House Speaker John Boehner and U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk like the arrangement. The U.S. is playing catch-up. Others countries already have agreements with Korea, for instance.
The trade agenda gives Congress an opportunity to improve its reputation by reaching a bipartisan consensus on a matter that serves the nation's best interests.
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