The US-OMAN FTA was voted on in the Senate on Thursday June 29^th.  Unsurprisingly, it passed 60-34 with 6 Senators not voting. This kind of outcome in the Senate was not unexpected- but the distressing votes were from Senators Clinton, Kerry and Obama, who all voted for the agreement. 

      The Senate Finance Committee had passed the implementing legislation only one day previously, on Wednesday by a 10-3 vote.  Six Senators voted by proxy, three for and three against the agreement, but those votes don't count in the official tally.  Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.), Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) voted to approve the bill, as did Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) by proxy.  Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), Kent Conrad (D-ND) and John Rockefeller (D-WV) voted against the agreement by proxy.

      On Thursday the 29^th, in the House, there was a very different story.  For the first time, all the Democrats (who were present) on the Ways and Means Committee voted against the OMAN legislation!  The committee vote was 23 to 15 which presents the Administration with an interesting problem, and may potentially complicate their pre-election trade agenda.  The ability of the Democrats to stand together means that to win a House vote, the Administration will have to seriously squeeze several ‘textile state' Republicans, who would rather not have to vote ‘yes' on another trade bill before November. 

            The US-PERU FTA was passed by the Peruvian Congress in a lame duck session in the early morning hours of July 28^th.  It promises to have a more difficult road in the U.S. Congress.   

      The Senate Finance Committee held a hearing on the implementing legislation on June 29^th.  Rep. Sander Levin (D-MI) had requested to testify at the hearing, but was not allowed to do so, according to House Ways and Means Democratic staff.