Bush calls for vote on Colombia trade pact

President Bush on Saturday used the visit of Colombia’s President Alvaro Uribe to urge Congress to pass a free trade agreement with the South American country. 

In remarks to reporters alongside Uribe at the White House Rose Garden, Bush said it is vital that Congress considers the trade pact before adjourning.

{mosads}“It is a statement of friendship, it's a statement of common values. And if this agreement were not to pass it would embolden the voices of populism in the neighborhood, to the detriment of a government which has been very strong in dealing with human rights and human dignity and the market,” said Bush.

Bush and Uribe plan to talk about the importance of free trade with other world leaders in New York next week before the United Nations General Assembly.

Asked about the Colombia trade deal, Uribe reinforced Bush’s sentiments, saying approval of the trade deal was necessary because it would provide market certainty to foreign corporations looking to invest in the South American nation.

“Free trade agreement for us is the possibility to give certainty to investors for them to come to Colombia, and the more the investors come to Colombia, the less difficult for us to defeat terrorism. Investment is the real alternative to illicit crops,” said Uribe.

Bush praised Uribe for his record against the rebel terrorist group FARC, highlighting this year’s rescue of 15 hostages, including three American contractors and former Colombian presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt.

But Colombia’s poor record on violence against trade unionists led to stringent opposition against the deal from America’s largest labor groups. In turn, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) changed House rules to block a vote for the agreement earlier this year.

Nevertheless, Uribe stressed his respect for both parties. Asked by a reporter if he believed the trade deal was more likely to pass if Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) would be elected president, the Colombian leader said he appreciates both parties.

“We have fought for bipartisan policy in the United States regarding Colombia. The approach of bipartisan policy has been very convenient for our two countries. Therefore, this is what we work for,” said Uribe.

Bush also commented on the Treasury Department’s $700 billion legislative proposal for emergency relief stemming from the financial crisis. The president said he hopes the final law will be “robust and strong to address the problem.”

“I decided to act and act boldly,” said Bush. “The system had grown to a point where a lot of people were dependent upon each other, and that the collapse of one part of the system wouldn't just affect a part of the financial markets; it would affect the average citizen — and how.”