The IMA (Illinois Manufacturers’ Association) is supporting the United States’ possible free-trade pact with Colombia and would like U.S. Rep. Bill Foster, D-Geneva, to consider it as well.

“We want to keep free trade open, especially when huge operations like Caterpillar have struck in this part of the world,” he told the crowd.

“Rep. Foster hasn’t made up his mind on this, and Sen. Dick Durbin hasn’t said a word,” added Baise, a former transportation department secretary for Illinois in Gov. Jim Thompson’s administration, and a former Republican candidate for Illinois state treasurer.