04/11/08 Going Cowboy & Columbia Trade

Going Cowboy & Columbia Trade. I'm Greg Martin with today's Northwest Report. Several weeks back I visited the folks in Ellensburg, Washington for their Cowboy Poetry Gathering. It was a great time and now we're off to the Cowboy Get Together this weekend in Pasco, Washington. Along with numerous cowboy poets, singers and various other entertainers, the weekend's highlights will be singer Johnny Lee and Rex Allen, Jr. If you can't make it to this festival, be sure and check around your area for one. It is wonderful to hear those great stories and hear some wonderful cowboy music. The U.S.-Columbia Trade Agreement was postponed on a vote of 224-195 yesterday. The move circumvents a 90-day deadline for considering the deal that is part of fast-track trade legislation signed into law in 2002. That 90-day clock was triggered when President George W. Bush sent the trade agreement to Congress Tuesday. Washington's Republican Congressman Doc Hastings was upset by the Democrats strong arm tactic. HASTINGS: This is an unprecedented move by a Democrat leadership to change the rules in the middle of the game as to how we put into place free trade agreements. The free trade agreement with Columbia has been pending for some time and what it does for agriculture industry is immediately removes tariffs on apples, cherries, pears, potatoes, wheat and beef. As suspected the vote was primarily along party lines. The issue could still come up later in the session if certain Democratic issues are addressed. Now here's today's Washington Grange Report. (GRANGE) That's today's Northwest Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.