Approval of trade pacts with Colombia and Panama marked a bipartisan milestone this year, but other hemispheric issues sparked divisions in U.S. Congress.

Representative David Dreier speaks with AS/COA about a recent congressional delegation he led to Latin America and his views on trade, security, immigration, and U.S. policy towards Latin America.

"The delay in passing this [trade agreement with Colombia] called into question the United States’ reliability as a partner," says COA's Eric Farnsworth.

"My hope is today’s events will be the beginning of a renewed effort from the United States to engage in trade," says COA's Eric Farnsworth.

The U.S. House and Senate passage of bilateral free trade agreements with Colombia and Panama on October 12 clears the way for long-delayed implementation.

"Recent developments in South America have upended the United States' historical—and often misguided—tendency to lump the region into a one-size-fits-all policy," writes AS/COA's Christopher Sabatini for World Politics Review.

The White House submitted trade deals with Colombia, Panama, and South Korea on Monday. Key legislators indicated the long-pending deals could win approval before Congress breaks for recess later this month.