House Democrats could offer amendments to Colombia trade deal

Colombia lost its Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) protections in 2008 when then Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) blocked the deal after President Bush submitted it to Congress for a vote without her consent.

The Colombia deal has created the greatest concern among House and some Senate Democrats, along with organized labor because of workers rights violations. 

Several labor unions, including the AFL-CIO and the United Steelworkers gathered with workers outside the Capitol on Tuesday morning in protest of all three agreements, which they argue will increase the U.S. trade deficit and lead to job losses.  

In response the the submission of the three trade deals, the AFL-CIO also launched ads on Tuesday calling on Congress to oppose the agreements. 

In sending up the trade deals to Capitol Hill on Monday, President Obama tried to quell concerns about the Colombia agreement, saying he expects the Latin American nation to fulfill all the requirements of a labor action plan designed to provide greater protections for workers and more severe punishments for violence acts against labor leaders and groups. 

“Colombia must successfully implement key elements of the action plan before I will bring the agreement into force,” Obama said Monday in a transmission statement. 

U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk said on Monday that U.S. trade officials are intent on requiring Colombia to meet all of the labor action requirements. 

Any potential amendments would likely address that exact element — that the labor action plan needs to be completed before the Obama administration lets the agreement go into effect. 

Levin has insisted that the Obama administration include the labor action plan in the Colombia agreement as a way to make it more enforceable. He offered an amendment during a July 7 mock markup that would have done that, which was rejected.

Even if Democrats do decide to offer amendments they are likely to be rejected. 

Once the agreements go through the panel, the House Rules Committee will likely provide for a way so that no amendments can be offered to the Colombia deal. 

In the Senate, the Parliamentarian is likely to decide that Colombia can be considered under fast-track rules.