In a last-ditch move to save his bid for trade promotion authority, President Obama went to Capitol Hill to plead with House Democrats to support a bill that many have doubts about.
According to The Hill:
In a last-minute, closed-door meeting held hours before scheduled votes on the fast-track package, the president huddled with House Democrats for about a half hour.
He asked them to back a measure meant to provide aid to workers displaced by trade.
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“All he asked Democrats to do is play it straight,” said Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.), who supports the trade deal.
Opponents of fast-track see defeating the Trade Adjustment Assistance measure as the best way to kill fast track.
Because of the way Friday’s votes have been set up on the floor if the TAA bill is defeated the House will not vote on the fast-track measure.
Most Democrats back TAA in theory, but those who want to kill fast-track see defeating the TAA bill as their best chance of defeating fast track since many Republicans are expected to vote down TAA.
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The problem isn’t so much trade authority, but the elephant in the room has always been TPP.
Labor has successfully mobilized and pressured House Democrats, who still feel the sting from NAFTA, and are in no hurry to pass a trade agreement that is supported by corporate America.
The lack of public knowledge about what the trade agreement contains has fueled the skepticism surrounding the deal.
President Obama put himself out there by going to the Hill, and if the bill doesn’t pass, this will be a stinging and very personal defeat for the president.
The margin should be razor thin, and Obama has laid it all on the line to get Democrats to support free trade.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
