The U.S. House of Representatives this morning passed the implementing legislation for the U.S.-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement (TPA) by a wide margin: 285 in favor; 132 opposed (16 not voting). By party, the breakdown was as follows:
Yeas:
Democratic: 109
Republican: 176
Nays:
Democratic: 116
Republican: 16
This was the largest approval vote in the House for a free trade agreement since this country’s very first free trade agreement (with Israel, which was approved by the House unanimously in 1984), and surpassing the 270 “yea” votes for the Chile FTA in 2003. Under trade promotion authority (“fast-track”) rules, the Senate must vote on the Peru agreement within 15 legislative days after the House vote, and it is likely that the Senate vote will occur shortly before or shortly after the Thanksgiving recess. Approval in the Senate is likewise all but guaranteed.
Today’s vote is viewed as a major victory, not only for the Bush Administration, but for the Democratic leadership in the House, and especially Ways and Means Chairman Charles Rangel (D-NY). While the hope is that the large number of Democratic members voting in favor of the Peru TPA will ease the path for consideration of the Colombia and Panama agreements, it is highly unlikely that this degree of approval will be replicated in the foreseeable future, as the Peru deal was viewed as rather benign and did not raise any of the much more contentious issues inherent in the other pending agreements.
We will continue to keep Members closely advised.
