House Defeats Obama’s Trade Agenda

BY IGOR VOLSKY POSTED ON JUNE 12, 2015 AT 3:11 PM UPDATED: JUNE 12, 2015 AT 4:05 PM
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Democrats in the House dealt a stunning blow to the administration’s trade agenda on Friday, just hours after President Barack Obama personally lobbied lawmakers to grant him authority to negotiate several global trade deals that Congress could vote on without amending.
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In the week leading up to Friday’s vote, House leadership expressed optimism that it could muscle through the so-called Trade Promotion Authority (TPA), despite loud objections from most Democrats and conservative Republicans. Under the rules, the House had to pass: 1) a provision to aid workers displaced by foreign imports — Trade Assistance Authority or TAA and 2) the TPA. But Democrats, who have historically supported providing federal assistance to workers displaced by trade agreements, led a campaign to torpedo the TAA in order to kill the full bill. The TAA failed in a vote of 302 -126 and the TPA passed 219-211 (with 28 Democratic votes), meaning the overall measure will not advance to the president’s desk.
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House leaders promised on Friday to bring both back for a vote early next week. The Senate approved the full package earlier this month.
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TPA would allow the administration to finish negotiating the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a free trade agreement between the U.S. and 11 other Pacific Area countries that will govern the trade of goods and services.
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“We want a better deal for America’s workers,” House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said on the House floor, “Slow down the fast track to get a better deal for the American people.” Several Democrats also criticized Obama’s last minute lobbying efforts, characterizing his tone as insulting. “Basically the president tried to both guilt people and then impugn their integrity,” Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR), told the Associated Press.
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http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2015/06/12/3669258/tpp-defeat/