For most of the summer, Congress has seemed dysfunctional and unable to make decisions as it debated ways to raise the debt ceiling and cut spending. The deadlock in Washington also stalled pending free trade agreements with Korea, Panama, and Colombia as Democrats and Republicans fight over how to handle the renewal of trade adjustment assistance. Now that the two sides have reached a deal on the debt ceiling, it is critical that the agreement hold and Congress move quickly to pass the three agreements, and the Korea-US (KORUS) Free Trade Agreement in particular, as they are directly linked to US strategic interests and future prosperity.