(13 Oct 2011)
1. Exteriors of Korean restaurant where Barack Obama and South Korean President Lee Myung-bak ate dinner
2. Obama and Lee Myung-bak exiting restaurant and getting into car
3. Wide of House floor
4. SOUNDBITE: (English): Senator Mitch McConnell, Senate Republican leader, Kentucky
"These agreements are good news for American businesses looking to expand the market for their goods, and they're good news for all the American workers who benefit when those businesses are able to compete on a level playing field with workers in other countries. While we waited to pass these agreements, America's competitors overseas have increased their share to markets in Panama, in Colombia and in South Korea, and operated without the barriers American job creators have faced prior to tonight. Today we're levelling the playing field, and when the playing field is level we know American workers and American businesses and farmers will come out on top."
5. Senators voting
6. UPSOUND: clerk announcing results of the US-Korea Free Trade Act vote
7. Tally showing vote results
8. UPSOUND: clerk announcing results of the US-Panama Trade Act vote
9. Tally showing vote results
10. SOUNDBITE: (English): Senator Sherrod Brown, Democrat, Ohio
"Those trade bills are going to cause a loss of American jobs, no matter how you look at it, and I'll tell you what the proof is. No sooner had those three trade bills passed out of this house than a third, a fourth bill came up. You know what the fourth bill was? It's called the Trade Adjustment Act providing a substantial amount of money, billions of dollars for those workers that lose their jobs as a result of the three trade bills that pass this house today. Do you get it? What's going on here? You're telling me these are going to create jobs and then you turn around not more than fifty seconds later and pass a bill that provides unemployment benefits and educational benefits for the very same workers that lose their jobs as a result of those fair trade acts?"
11. Senators voting
12. UPSOUND: clerk announcing results of the US-Colombia Trade Act
13. Tally showing results of vote
STORYLINE:
Congress approved free trade agreements with South Korea, Colombia and Panama on Wednesday, ending a four-year drought in the forming of new trade partnerships.
Passing these bills gives the White House and Capitol Hill the opportunity to show they can work together to stimulate the economy and put people back to work.
The administration says they could boost exports by 13 (b) billion US dollars and support tens of thousands of American jobs.
None of the votes on the three trade pacts were close, despite opposition from labour groups and other critics of free trade agreements who say they result in job losses and ignore labour rights problems in the partner countries.
President Barack Obama said passage of the agreements was "a major win for American workers and businesses."
The agreements would lower or eliminate tariffs that American exporters face in the three countries.
They also take steps to better protect intellectual property and improve access for American investors in those countries.
The last free trade agreement completed was with Peru in 2007.
The agreement with South Korea, the world's 13th largest economy, was the biggest such deal since the North American Free Trade Agreement with Mexico and Canada in 1994.
The Senate votes were 83-15 for Korea, 77-22 for Panama and 66-33 for Colombia.
Despite the strong majorities, the debate was not without rancor.
The Senate went along; the House passed it on Wednesday, by 307-122.
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