SKFTA Uniqueness – Won’t Pass

SKFTA Uniqueness – Won’t Pass

The Obama administration has confirmed that it will delay sending free trade agreements with Colombia, Panama and South Korea to Congress until lawmakers return from a scheduled August recess. The White House and Republicans disagree over a program designed to help Americans who lose their jobs to overseas competition. Putting the three trade deals into effect has been a White House priority almost since President Barack Obama took office in January 2009. His predecessor, President George W. Bush, reached the agreements with Colombia, Panama and South Korea. Since then, the Obama administration has linked the deals with its efforts to revitalize the sluggish economic recovery, as the president said on July 8. “Today, Congress can advance trade agreements that will help businesses sell more American-made goods and services to Asia and South America, supporting thousands of jobs here at home. That could be done right now,” Obama said. Yet, the White House and Republicans in Congress have disagreed over several provisions of the deals. The approval process stalled last month after Republicans opposed linking the agreements to an aid program for workers hurt by global competition. The White House wants to tie an extension of the program to the South Korea deal. Because of the dispute, the administration has not formally submitted the three agreements to Congress. Less than two weeks ago, on July 11, the president showed his impatience with lawmakers over the impasse. “I still think we are going to have to do a whole bunch of stuff, including, for example, trade deals that are before Congress right now that could add tens of thousands of jobs. Republicans gave me this list, at the beginning of this year, as a priority, something that they thought they could do. Now I am ready to do it, and so far we have not gotten the kind of movement that I would have expected,” Obama said.

SKFTA won’t pass until TAA is passed

Berger, 7/14/11 (James, “Free Trade Agreements Stymied by Political Roadblocks”, http://www.areadevelopment.com/EconomicsGovernmentPolicy/July2011/US-free-trade-agreements-organized-labor-736537383.shtml, 7/26/11)

In his January 2011 State of the Union address, President Barack Obama made a plea to Congress to pass a trade agreement with South Korea that “will support at least 70,000 American jobs.” The South Korean agreement, as well as agreements with Colombia and Panama (a total package valued at $13 billion) is on the threshold of being sent to Congress for ratification — but there is a roadblock. None of these free trade agreements (FTAs) will go to Congress unless an accord with Congress is reached on expanded subsidies for jobless workers. According to White House economic aide Gene Sperling, “The administration will not submit implementing legislations on the three pending FTAs until we have an agreement with Congress on the renewal of a robust, expanded TAA (trade adjustment assistance) consistent with the objectives of the 2009 trade adjustment assistance law.” The bottom line is that the White House wants Congress to authorize more than $2 billion in trade adjustment assistance or it will block these major trade agreements that promise to create thousands of new jobs and positively impact a number of important U.S. industries. A Wall Street Journal editorial of May 20, 2011 points out that “those familiar with the tactics of this White House won’t be surprised to learn that that beneficiaries of the program that Mr. Obama wants to resurrect include union workers whose job losses had nothing to do with foreign competition.”

Won’t pass Korea

Gridlock in Korea Will Prevent Passage

Eun-joo 7/22/2011 (Lee, July 22, 2011, Renegotiated Korus FTA to cost Korea about $38M, http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2939262, Accessed 7/22/11

To repeat an oft-made point, when it comes to domestic policy, the presidency is a limited office with limited resources. Popularity with the public is a necessary part of presidential success in Congress, but it's far from sufficient. The supplementary agreement of the free trade pact between Korea and the United States that was signed last December comes with less economic benefits for Korea compared with the original agreement, according to a report released by the Ministry of Strategy and Finance yesterday. The report said Korea’s economic gains would be dented by 40.6 billion won ($38.5 million) to 45.9 billion won, with the auto industry taking the brunt of it. However, the report said Korea will still see significant net-gains from the trade pact. The report also supports the government and the ruling party’s push for the ratification of the deal. Conflict has been rising between the ruling Grand National Party and the opposition Democratic Party as the latter is demanding the deal again be renegotiated, arguing that it unfairly favors the U.S. Last year, Korea and the U.S. agreed to the revised deal at the request of Washington, after it expressed concerns that the FTA would result in an influx of Korean-made cars. The new agreement stipulates that Korea scale back tariffs and environmental standards on U.S.-made autos. That infuriated the Democratic Party. It argues that the new deal would hurt Korean industries. Earlier this week, the party unveiled its so-called “10 plus two” proposal, urging the government to revise 10 items in the trade deal by holding renegotiations with the U.S. The proposal also calls for two additional measures to make up for what the party calls an “unfair and unfavorable” treaty. The ruling party, however, rejects the opposition’s claims. It argues that the free trade bill should be ratified as is as soon as possible.

Hold up by both U.S. and South Korea will cause SKFTA failure

Ramstad 7/21/11 (Evan, Wall Street Journal,” Korean Opposition Knocks U.S. Deal”

http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB10001424053111903554904576457391306394236-lMyQjAxMTAxMDIwMTEyNDEyWj.html)

SEOUL--The leader of South Korea's main opposition party on Wednesday said the South Korea-U.S. free-trade agreement needs a major overhaul, another sign that the deal's ratification in Parliament here will hinge on the willingness of the ruling party to use its majority status to pass it. In an interview, Sohn Hak-kyu, the opposition Democratic Party chairman, said it is still possible for the pact to gain support from his party. "We are not totally against the free-trade agreement, but there are conditions we'd like to see met," Mr. Sohn said.The party on Tuesday issued a statement urging Korean trade officials to seek new negotiations with the U.S. to make 10 changes in the pact, including delaying the reductions on food tariffs, which are fundamental to the deal. The party also said it won't support the FTA unless new Korean laws are passed to compensate companies and individuals who might be hurt by its implementation. In Washington, Senate ratification of the deal has been held up by congressional debate over a reauthorization of a similar program that assists workers whose jobs are lost by trade-related change. South Korean lawmakers, reluctant to wade into the controversial measure needlessly, have said they won't move on the deal until the U.S. Congress approves it.

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