Pelosi to prevent Colombia vote

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House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) announced Wednesday that Democrats will use House rules to prevent a vote on the controversial Colombia free trade agreement.

Pelosi said Democrats decided in a closed-door caucus meeting Wednesday morning to vote on a rule this week to postpone consideration of the controversial trade deal. Pelosi predicted the trade agreement would fail otherwise.

"The rules of the House govern the proceedings in the House of Representatives," Pelosi told reporters.

President Bush sent legislation implementing the deal to Congress on Tuesday in an effort to force a vote on the deal, which is opposed by the AFL-CIO and other labor unions because of violence in Colombia against union organizers.

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