Boehner says help needed from Obama on trade deals [View All]

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/05/05/us-usa-trade-boehner-idUSTRE74453V20110505

(Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives hopes to pass long-delayed free-trade agreements with Colombia, South Korea and Panama by August, House Speaker John Boehner said Thursday.

"We can move pretty quickly but it's going to take help by the president as well," Boehner told reporters.

Although Republicans, who now control the House, are generally pro-trade, some members of the party are skeptical of trade deals.

"I do believe a lot of work will have to be done with our own members," Boehner said.

In addition, a large portion of Democrats are likely to vote against the pacts, especially the Colombia agreement, which is generally seen as the most controversial of the three trade deals because of a long history of violence against union workers in the Andean country.

"The president is going to have to be out there as well talking about the importance of these three agreements. We hope to have them finished by the August recess," Boehner said.

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