White House Pushes Trade Deal on Hill

[Judi Lynn]

4:27 PM PDT, July 25, 2005

White House Pushes Trade Deal on Hill
By Warren Vieth and Richard Simon, Times Staff Writers


WASHINGTON -- With a congressional showdown looming on a high-profile trade pact, Bush administration officials scrambled today to negotiate side deals that might get them the two dozen or so additional votes needed to ensure passage. By day's end, they appeared to have nailed down at least five.

"I told them this is what they needed to do to get my vote," said Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-Ga.), who joined with four House colleagues to seek concessions for home-state textile plants. "The bottom line is they have done everything I asked for."

Gingrey said the five Southern lawmakers were now "95%" certain to support the Central American Free Trade Agreement, and were only waiting for final signatures on agreements to protect makers of denim cloth and trouser pockets.

Despite such successes, vote-counters on both sides of the issue said it remained uncertain whether President Bush would prevail when CAFTA came up for a vote in the House on Wednesday or Thursday.
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http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-cafta26jul26,0,7353017.story?coll=la-home-headlines
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