White House Sends Three Free-Trade Deals to Congress

The Obama administration announced on Monday that they would be sending stalled free-trade agreements with Colombia, Panama and South Korea to Congress later this week.

This administration ... made sure that the trade deals ... were balanced and fair and would both increase our trade opportunities, but do it in a way that protected American workers and made sure that our obligations, broadly speaking, were upheld, said White House spokesman Jay Carney, who pointed to concerns the administration had to ensure the federal Trade Adjustment Assistance Program (TAA), which helps workers who lose their jobs due to free trade, would continue to be funded. There has been an issue of working with Congress, which we have done, to make sure that the whole process here takes place in a way that ensures that all four measures -- the three free-trade agreements and the TAA -- are acted on. And were confident that that will happen.

Florida Republican U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio cheered the news on Monday.

Approving free trade agreements with Colombia, Panama and South Korea has been delayed long enough, and I hope Congress moves quickly to hold an immediate up-or-down vote on all three deals. These agreements will be a boon to our economy, create jobs for Floridians and help solidify our alliances with these steadfast partners. The agreements with Colombia and Panama in particular will boost Florida businesses, workers and farmers whose livelihoods rely on exports to these countries, said Rubio. Todays news is welcome, but it is several years overdue. Unfortunately, the long delay in bringing these deals up for a vote has allowed our competitors to seize on the administrations complacency.