House Delays Deliberation of Colombia Pact

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said, "We will take back our leverage." (By Chris Kleponis -- Bloomberg News)

The Colombian deal was to be considered under the "fast track" laws. Those laws, which expired last year but pertain to this bill because it was originally signed in 2006, require Congress to approve or reject within 90 legislative days trade deals negotiated by the administration. The House has 60 legislative days from the time Bush sends a pact to Capitol Hill, and the Senate has 30 legislative days after that. No amendments are allowed.

Instead, House Democrats have halted the clock by changing internal chamber rules.

Pelosi has suggested that the trade deal -- which she believes would lose if voted on now -- would be quickly considered if Bush met her demands on other domestic spending measures.

But key Democrats on the Ways and Means Committee, which has jurisdiction over trade matters, said yesterday's action was part of a Democratic effort to completely reshape trade policy.

Rep. Sander M. Levin (D-Mich.), a key ally of auto unions, said the next administration -- Democrat or Republican -- should not expect Congress to renew fast-track authority under its current form.

"Under any administration, fast track has to be reshaped. There has to be a greater role for Congress," said Levin, chairman of the trade subcommittee. "We ought to be able to say more than yes or no at the end."

"We're going to rethink the whole concept of fast track in a Democratic administration," said Rep. Artur Davis (D-Ala.), a moderate on trade policy.

Staff writer Dan Eggen and washingtonpost.com staff writer Ben Pershing contributed to this report.