Bridge legislation proposed for Andean pact

Bridge legislation proposed for Andean pact A group of 28 House members, including the heads of several committees that deal with international relations, wrote to the House leadership Wednesday asking for movement on bridge legislation that would extend the benefits of the Andean Trade Preference Act until the implementation of Free Trade Agreements being negotiated with Colombia and Peru.
   The Andean pact expires at the end of this year. The Bush administration is backing bilateral trade agreements with the nations now covered under the old multilateral agreement. The new agreements are believed to have adequate support in Congress, but final legislation needed for the agreements is not expected to be completed before the current trade agreement expires.
   'While we are optimistic that it is still possible for the Congress to act this year to move the FTAs forward, it is highly likely that these FTAs will not be completed until after the expiration of the ATPA,' said the letter, which was address to House Speaker Dennis Hastert and House Majority Leader John Boehner.