Trade agreements with Colombia and Peru are unlikely to be passed any time soon as a result of the Democrats taking control of both the House and Senate.
A group of Democrats recently sent a letter to U.S. Trade Reprentative Susan Scwab urging her to renegotiate the agreements to include tougher labor laws.
"We are dismayed that the administration has consistently declined to take the simple steps necessary to address our key outstanding concern (about the Peru agreement), which continues to be labor standards," the Democrats said. "Our concerns apply to the Colombia agreement as well."
More trade unionists are killed in Colombia each year than the rest of the world combined. Ironically Peru, under former President Alejandro Toledo offered to include tougher and enforceable labor standards, only to have the Bush administration reject the offer.
Colombian President Alvaro Uribe also has shown an unwillingness to renegotiate the terms of the agreement.
"The Democrats are increasingly reflecting the views of organised labour. The Colombia deal will run into a very difficult time as the party continues to drift away from its free trade roots," Daniel Griswold, director of the Center for Trade Policy Studies told The Washington Post.