Chairman of the Western Hemisphere Subcommittee Connie Mack called on the Administration again to release pending Free Trade Agreements with Colombia and Panama to the Congress immediately and not to use the current debt ceiling negotiations to continue to stall the agreements already promised to the Congress by the White House eelier this year.
A copy of Mack's let to President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton is below:
July 13, 2011
President Barack Obama
The Honorable Hillary Rodham Clinton
Dear Mr. President; Secretary Clinton:
As Chairman of the Western Hemisphere Subcommittee, and in light of the focus on the debt ceiling vote, I am writing to urge you to send the pending Free Trade Agreements with South Korea, Colombia, and Panama to Congress by July 29th.
In the midst of the debt ceiling debate and an increase in unemployment, yesterday it was announced that America's trade deficit increased by 15.1 percent in May to $50.2 billion, bringing our deficit to the highest it has been in almost three years. Our nation's access to international markets and the wealth of our nation are directly related. Your delay in passage of these agreements closes off key export markets and continues to bring harm to our economy.
As you know, once the agreements are presented to Congress there is a 45 day requirement to allow the agreements to work their way through Committee procedures, followed by a 15 day limit on passage of these agreements through both houses. As you also know, if Congress does not receive these agreements before the August recess we will lose vital job growth and allies in our hemisphere.
For too many years I've watched these free trade agreements languish in political quicksand. With the August recess and election season just around the corner, these agreements must be sent to Congress by July 29th.
Many of us around the nation refuse to sit back and let past failures be repeated in regard to the three pending Free Trade Agreements. We urge you to act today for the American people.
Respectfully,
CONNIE MACK
Chairman, Western Hemisphere Subcommittee