Posted May 18, 2015
The Senate
voted 65-33 to advance a Trade Promotion Authority bill, or Fast Track, opening
it to votes on amendments that could last until the Memorial Day recess,
according to an Agriculture article available here.
USA Today also published an article available here
and New York Times here.
“The
negotiating process has finally worked,” said Senator Bill Nelson of Florida,
one of the Democrats who voted for TPA just two days after his party voted
against the measure.
This
decision comes two days after Democratic senators blocked it. This legislation would
grant the president negotiating freedom to complete an expansive trade accord
with 11 nations on the Pacific Rim, setting off a contentious congressional
debate on one of President Obama’s top priorities for his remaining time in
office, according to The
New York Times.
The
six-year reauthorization of Trade Promotion Authority (TPA), commonly known as
"fast track," creates an expedited process to get trade pacts through
Congress and is opposed by most congressional Democrats, according to USA
Today.
The Senate
trade debate is expected to roll into next week. If TPA passes, the House is on
track to follow suit in June. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.,
has said the bill will be open for amendment, and Democrats are likely to seek
additional votes on currency manipulation as well as worker and environmental
protections, among other issues.
Farm
groups called on Congress to move ahead with fast-track legislation, according
to Agriculture.
“For
America’s farmers and ranchers to see continued export growth, we must pen
deals that knock down trade barriers,” said California Farm Bureau President
Paul Wenger.
For more information on international trade, please visit
the National Agricultural Law Center’s website here.
