Kolbe, Bee scold Dems on trade

Congressional aspirant Tim Bee scolded House Democrats on Friday for halting a trade agreement with Colombia, putting it off for the next Congress and president.

Former U.S. Rep. Jim Kolbe of Arizona joined Republican Bee in a conference call to Southern Arizona reporters.

Until he retired two years ago, Kolbe was regarded as a House expert on U.S. trade agreements.

Kolbe said the almost last-minute change to the Colombian agreement was “very devastating. It undermines our credibility.”

The Associated Press said the Democratic-led House denied President Bush time to implement a free-trade agreement with Colombia, one of the United States’ most important South American trading partner. Trade between the two countries amounted to about $18 billion last year, reported the AP.

Kolbe said the change leaves the administration “without authority to negotiate.” He said it would leave the progress up to Congress, which could “make changes and come back endless times” during the negotiation.

Kolbe said the whole trading agreement procedure “will shortly unravel. It will be up to the new administration to start all over again.”

“It really hurts our reputation with foreign governments,” said Bee.

Bee is the Arizona Senate president and is running for Kolbe’s old congressional seat, now held by Democrat Gabrielle Giffords.

Kolbe said the delaying tactic was initiated by union leaders.

“Union leaders killed it. Unions don’t want to go forward,” said Kolbe.

Under the current situation, Colombian products are duty-free when shipped to the United States.

Kolbe said the idea is to sustain a strong nation, Colombia, which is threatened by such dictatorships as Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez.

Last week’s House action also threatens a similar trade agreement with South Korea, said Kolbe.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said she had told President Bush not to push for the trade agreement. He decided to go forward despite her warning. She withdrew the agreement from House action, making it impossible to pass a new one until next year.

Kolbe said the benefit of existing trade bill was its flexibility.

He said the involved countries could agree in principal on the trade agreements, leaving it to department-level employees of both countries to work out the details—a common occurrence, he said.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said, “From the perspective of American foreign policy and American interests, there is perhaps no more important free trade agreement in recent memory.”

jlamb@gvnews.com | 547-9749