ID :
201249
Mon, 08/15/2011 - 04:20
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/201249
The shortlink copeid
Early passage of FTAs not guaranteed despite Senate deal
By Lee Chi-dong
WASHINGTON (Yonhap) - The timing of when U.S. Congress votes on free trade agreements (FTAs) with South Korea, Colombia and Panama remains uncertain, with President Barack Obama apparently placing the top priority on extending the payroll tax cut and unemployment benefits, sources said Sunday.
The sequencing of handling the FTAs and a controversial bill on renewing Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) have also not been addressed in spite of a recent Senate deal.
Prior to leaving for their summer break, the Senate leaders announced a bipartisan "path forward" to deal with the matters.
The Senate plans to work for the passage of TAA, aimed at helping workers displaced by trade, when it reconvenes on Sept. 6, followed by the handling of the FTAs, according to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and his Republican counterpart Mitch McConnell (Kentucky).
The compromise in the Democrat-dominated Senate reflects Obama's push for extending the US$1 billion-a-year TAA, which is strongly opposed by Republican members of Congress.
"Many Americans are hurting badly right now. Many have been unemployed for too long. Putting these men and women back to work, and growing wages for everyone, has got to be our top priority," Obama said in his radio address on Saturday.
He also emphasized the urgency of extending the payroll tax cut to raise the actual income of families.
"Because we know there are things Congress can do, right now, to get more money back in your pockets, get this economy growing faster, and get our friends and neighbors back to work," he said.
Sources said Obama hopes to get the FTAs ratified before the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in November, but he will likely focus first on extending the payroll tax cut and TAA along with other measures to help workers.
"A problem is that there is no clear agreement on how Congress will proceed on passing TAA and the FTAs," a congressional source said.
Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH), in fact, is calling for the ratification of the FTAs before considering TAA, while Obama wants to wait until the Senate passes TAA before submiting the FTAs.
The sequencing of the TAA-FTA legislation remains unresolved in the Republican-controlled House as well.
"I look forward to the House passing the FTAs, in tandem with separate consideration of TAA legislation, as soon as possible," House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) said in a recent statement, without elaborating.
WASHINGTON (Yonhap) - The timing of when U.S. Congress votes on free trade agreements (FTAs) with South Korea, Colombia and Panama remains uncertain, with President Barack Obama apparently placing the top priority on extending the payroll tax cut and unemployment benefits, sources said Sunday.
The sequencing of handling the FTAs and a controversial bill on renewing Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) have also not been addressed in spite of a recent Senate deal.
Prior to leaving for their summer break, the Senate leaders announced a bipartisan "path forward" to deal with the matters.
The Senate plans to work for the passage of TAA, aimed at helping workers displaced by trade, when it reconvenes on Sept. 6, followed by the handling of the FTAs, according to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and his Republican counterpart Mitch McConnell (Kentucky).
The compromise in the Democrat-dominated Senate reflects Obama's push for extending the US$1 billion-a-year TAA, which is strongly opposed by Republican members of Congress.
"Many Americans are hurting badly right now. Many have been unemployed for too long. Putting these men and women back to work, and growing wages for everyone, has got to be our top priority," Obama said in his radio address on Saturday.
He also emphasized the urgency of extending the payroll tax cut to raise the actual income of families.
"Because we know there are things Congress can do, right now, to get more money back in your pockets, get this economy growing faster, and get our friends and neighbors back to work," he said.
Sources said Obama hopes to get the FTAs ratified before the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in November, but he will likely focus first on extending the payroll tax cut and TAA along with other measures to help workers.
"A problem is that there is no clear agreement on how Congress will proceed on passing TAA and the FTAs," a congressional source said.
Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH), in fact, is calling for the ratification of the FTAs before considering TAA, while Obama wants to wait until the Senate passes TAA before submiting the FTAs.
The sequencing of the TAA-FTA legislation remains unresolved in the Republican-controlled House as well.
"I look forward to the House passing the FTAs, in tandem with separate consideration of TAA legislation, as soon as possible," House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) said in a recent statement, without elaborating.
