http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0507/3784.htmlLobbyists for free trade, fair labor spar over trade agreements
By: Chris Frates
May 1, 2007 05:38 PM EST
While congressional Democrats and the Bush administration wrangle over pending trade agreements, the labor and business lobbies are quietly warming up their influence wrestlers for what comes next -- a veritable cage match that determines the president's authority to broker future trade deals.
And few states would feel the outcome's impact more than California, which weighs in with a $1.6 trillion economy -- the world's eighth largest in 2005 -- and $127.7 billion in exports last year. With much at stake, California officials at home and in Washington are watching closely.
On June 30, President Bush's ability to ask Congress for a simple yes or no vote on trade packages is set to expire. Congress gave him trade promotion authority (TPA) in 2002 to fast-track trade deals negotiated by his administration. And now Democrats control whether and how that power would be reauthorized.
Business and labor are closely following the trade deal negotiations as they prepare for a clash on Capitol Hill over TPA. Democrats are pushing the White House for tougher enforcement of labor and environmental standards on four pending deals between the United States and Panama, Peru, Colombia and South Korea. The outcome, observers say, could shape the coming debate over renewing the president's authority.
With the country's trade agenda in play, both sides have begun mobilizing what is likely to be a multimillion-dollar lobbying effort. The early stages of the campaign -- visits to key committee members and staff, coalition building and "education" efforts -- have already begun.
"The stakes could not be higher," said Rob Nichols, president of the Financial Services Forum, a collection of 20 CEOs from the largest financial services institutions.
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