WASHINGTON, Nov. 17 (UPI) -- Congress should pass free-trade agreements, especially one with Colombia, to help the economy, White House press secretary Dana Perino said Monday.
"If they (members of Congress) really want to help the economy and jump-start jobs in our country, to pass the free-trade agreements that are in front of them: Colombia Free Trade, in particular, is one that is ripe for the taking," she said.
Congress could also pass trade agreements with South Korea and Panama, she said.
She said the White House was pleased the G-20 economic summit meeting Saturday ended with "47 specific concrete actions that the countries agreed to take together," she said.
In the near term, President George Bush will focus on the economy and finding a way "to see if we can get legislation passed to help the automakers in the way that we have defined," she said.
The administration has said money from the $700 billion bailout plan was not designed for helping automakers. However, the White House is pushing members of Congress to change the $25 billion automaker loan program to see if loans can be processed quicker to help the industry.
