U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab this afternoon condemned House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for her scuttling of a trade pact with Colombia, saying she is hurting U.S. workers over nothing more than partisan politics.
"Delaying the vote on the Colombia [Free Trade Agreement] does not create one American job, it does not put one more dollar in anyone's pocket, does not save one life, does not help one union to organize, or protect one endangered species," Schwab said during remarks at the Peterson Institute for International Economics.
"I talk to dozens of our trading partners around the world, and they cannot fathom why Congress appears to be abandoning key allies," she said.
Schwab denounced politicians who "demagogue and prey on anxieties and fear," in a knock not only at Pelosi, a California Democrat, but also at the Democratic presidential candidates, who have both said they might withdraw the United States from the North American Free Trade Agreement.
"We do a disservice to the American people by pretending that somehow trade is the culprit of our economic problems and anxieties," she said.
Nearly one year after the Bush administration reached an agreement with the Democratic-led Congress to move forward FTAs with Peru, Colombia, South Korea and Panama, only the Peru deal has been passed.
Last month, Pelosi changed congressional rules requiring a vote on trade pacts within 60 days of their submission by the president.
"The promise of May 10 [2008] remains unfulfilled," Schwab said.
Howard Rosen, executive director of the Trade Adjustment Assistance Coalition, faulted the Bush administration, and the Labor Department specifically, for dragging its feet on talks to help workers who lose their jobs due to free trade.
"[President Bush's] rhetoric has not translated into action," Rosen said.
But Schwab defended the administration, blaming congressional Democrats for failing to negotiate on TAA.
"The House has yet to seriously engage with us despite our repeated requests. So again, we wait," Schwab said.
Schwab said that since Pelosi changed congressional rules, "the burden to move forward is 100 percent on the Speaker of the House and the House Democratic leadership. It is no longer a shared burden."
— Jon Ward, White House correspondent, The Washington Times
Comments (3)
Since assuming the role of Speaker, Nancy Pelosi has been practicing weed eater politics (cut the tops off but go no deeper so they grow back again) with the immigration package, biofuels, the stimulus package and now the Columbia Free Trade Agreement. She can�t think any deeper than the surface agenda of the Democratic Party. The legislation that has been sent to the Senate under her guidance has had only a feel good analysis, and has been ineffective. Her record has been one failure (immigration), one questionable (biofuels) and one half success (stimulus package). She is obstructing two pieces of legislation (immunity of telecoms for cooperating with Bush and Columbia Free Trade agreement) because of the new special interests in Washington, lawyers and organized labor. This may be her definition of change, but by changing the rules with only a slim margin in the House, the direction seems to be toward dismantling the principles of the Republic type of government and vectoring toward a power elitist type of socialism.
Posted by Larry Stone | May 7, 2008 3:34 AM
nearly all of the white voters i have made apoint to speak with say they will not vote for obama in a general election.this is suprising to me.i had thought all the racial stuff was largely over.the rev wright did not help barack, but could it cost him the election..i hope not.
Posted by thomas francis | May 9, 2008 9:00 AM
We stand at the edge of an abyss of 39 million people unemployed, and that many again under-employed (not earning enough to stay above poverty line).
We export jobs and import to give weapons to our enemies. The strength of our dollar is pathetic!
The price we pay for "free" trade is horrific!
Posted by blinkenandnod | May 10, 2008 5:36 AM