A group of Republicans voice their support for President Barack Obama’s “commitment” to act upon the stalled free trade agreement (FTA) with Colombia in his State of the Union address, according to a republican press release.
In a “Sense of the Senate” resolution submitted earlier this week, Republican senators urged the president to immediately implement pending trade agreements with Colombia, Panama, and South Korea.
This type of resolution has no force in law but is typically used by the Senate to appeal to the president or to send a message to foreign governments.
There has thus far been a mixed response to the president’s address from Colombian leaders. Although President Obama did mention the FTA, he offered no definitive timetable for a deal with the Latin American countries.
Texan Senator John Cornyn, one of the original co-sponsors of the resolution, criticized the president and the Democrat Party for having “allowed these agreements to languish, shutting the doors to fertile markets for American products and preventing key partnerships with Latin American neighbors to strengthen and progress.”
“The penalty for inaction is clear. I encourage the president to work with House Republicans to approve the agreements quickly, and am hopeful the Senate can follow suit,” he added.