Free Trade Pacts Sail Through Congress

After years of debate, the House and Senate both approved a trio of key trade deals on Wednesday.

The House passed an agreement with Colombia by a vote of 262-167, a deal with Panama by a vote of 300-129 and a deal with South Korea by a vote of 278-151.

The Senate, meanwhile, voted 83-15 to approve the South Korea deal, 77—22  in favor of the Panama deal and 66-33 in favor of the agreement with Colombia.

All three packages now go to President Obama’s desk, where he is expected to sign them into law swiftly.

The votes signal a small triumph for the White House, which analyzed the deals for over two years before finally sending them to Congress. All three agreements originated during the Bush administration, but languished due to concerns over U.S. jobs and labor conditions in the three countries involved.

The current administration had also pressed Hill Republicans to reauthorize a program known as Trade Adjustment Assistance, which provides training and other tools to American workers if they lose their jobs as a result of the trade deals.

The agreement with South Korea is particularly important for Obama, as he is playing host this week to South Korean President Lee Myung-bak and First Lady Kim Yoon-ok. In a statement, Obama called the votes “a major win for American workers and businesses.”

“Tonight’s vote, with bipartisan support, will significantly boost exports that bear the proud label “Made in America,” support tens of thousands of good-paying American jobs and protect labor rights, the environment and intellectual property,” he added.