Democrats Consider Deal for Passage of Trade Pacts (NYT)

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/24/business/24trade.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Democrats Consider Deal for Passage of Trade Pacts

By STEVEN R. WEISMAN
Published: March 24, 2007

WASHINGTON, March 23 — Democrats in Congress are mulling a proposal to the Bush administration intended to resolve disagreements over labor, environmental and other issues blocking approval of pending trade deals, Congressional and administration officials said Friday.

The officials said that the proposal, if endorsed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other leading Democrats, could lead to bipartisan agreement on deals to lower trade barriers with Colombia, Panama, Peru and South Korea for possible Congressional approval this year.

An accord on these trade deals could, in turn, lead to broader negotiations over a global trade agreement and extension of the president’s authority to negotiate future trade deals and get an expedited vote on them. That authority expires on June 30 and Democrats are now opposed to extending it.

Few details of the proposal were disclosed, but officials said that a series of proposals was the subject of a meeting Friday afternoon between Speaker Pelosi and Representative Charles B. Rangel, the New York Democrat who is chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee.

Democrats have long demanded that as a price for supporting trade agreements, the Bush administration must incorporate requirements that trading partners adhere to international labor standards, including the right to organize unions, and a ban on slave labor and discrimination. Until now the administration has refused.

But with the Democrats taking control of Congress this year, the administration has relented and offered certain limited guarantees on labor and environmental issues last month as a compromise. Democrats have been working since then on a response. The meeting Friday was a sign that the pace of the talks has quickened.

But administration officials caution that time may be running out because trade deals have to be submitted to Congress at least 90 days before the expiration of presidential authority to negotiate them. That timetable dictates an agreement by the end of next week, they say.

FULL ARTICLE AT LINK.