Congress has to vote on a trade deal within 90 days of the date on which it is submitted if that deal is negotiated under the trade promotion authority it granted the President. In the past, the President has waited to submit deals until it got a "go ahead" from the leadership in Congress.
Doug Palmer reports that the chief U.S. trade official, Susan Schwab, told reporters on Monday that the Administration might push ahead and submit the Columbia, Panama, and Korea deals, without waiting for that green light: Bush could force vote on trade pacts: Schwab (Reuters, January 7, 2008):
The White House could force Congress to vote on trade deals with Colombia, South Korea and Panama if congressional leaders try to stop them from coming up, U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab said on Monday.
"That's always an option. It's clearly not the preferred option," Schwab told reporters in a conference call from Las Vegas, where she was attending the electronics industry's annual consumer goods show. "We would rather not be in a confrontational situation," Schwab said.That law requires lawmakers to vote within 90 legislative days on any trade agreements that Bush sends to Congress....
Many business lobbyists fear forcing a vote would only antagonize Congress and lead to defeat of the pacts....
"We are working and will continue to work with the congressional leadership -- Democrats and Republicans -- to arrange for the legislation to move ahead," Schwab said.
Those conversations will intensify as lawmakers return from their holiday break this month, she said.
Comments