The US House of Representatives could vote soon on a trade pact with Central America, House Speaker Dennis Hastert said, but he declined to set a deadline.

"It's my intention the House will act as quickly as possible," the Illinois Republican said in a speech to the US Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, which has endorsed the US-Central American Free Trade Agreement, or CAFTA.

President George W. Bush, who has been criticized by some Democrats for not doing more to drum up support for the trade pact, was to speak to the same group later on Wednesday.

Many business groups would like a vote on CAFTA before the end of May. However, the pact faces stiff opposition from sugar, labor and some textile organizations who are making an aggressive effort to stop it.

"I'm not going to put a deadline on it," Hastert told reporters when asked after the speech if the House could vote by the Memorial Day recess in late May.

Although supporters are "very close" to having the 218 votes they need for approval in the House, they still have more work to do to gain enough support for passage, Hastert said.

"We want this to be a bipartisan vote. It shouldn't just be one party or the other that's trying to push this," he said.

Supporters are hopeful that some undecided Hispanic members of the House will help provide the margin of victory.

Rep. Grace Napolitano, a California Democrat who is chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, told reporters that she planned to vote against the agreement.

Many other Hispanic members also oppose the pact. But some like, Rep. Robert Menendez of New Jersey and Reps. Charles Gonzalez and Ruben Hinojosa of Texas, are undecided.

Rep. Henry Cuellar, a first term congressman from Texas, is one of the few Democrats that publicly supports CAFTA. (Reuters)