President Barack Obama faces a critical vote Tuesday as senators weigh whether to give the commander in chief "fast track" negotiating power to seal a multinational Pacific Rim trade deal.
In an unusual twist, the Senate is presenting an obstacle to the president over the fast-track bill, according to
The Hill, which notes that the upper chamber typically passes trade bills without much fanfare.
In this instance, Senate Democrats are a thorn in the president’s side.
Minority Leader Harry Reid is asking his conference to block the fast-track bill and demand that three more measures — Trade Adjustment Assistance, a customs enforcement bill and a package of trade preferences for African countries — be added to it.
As a result of most Democrats insisting that all four bills be included in a single package, there’s growing uncertainty about whether Obama and the Republicans will be able to secure the 60 votes needed to advance the legislation, according to The Hill.
Even if the bill makes it out of the Senate, the House may present an even greater challenge,
The New York Times reported Sunday.
Many GOP lawmakers who identify with the tea party are "reluctant to hand the president a victory," according to the Times.
GOP leaders have already warned the White House that they may not be able to deliver sufficient votes "to compensate for balky members of the president’s own party."
Granting fast-track authority to the president means that the Congress can only vote up or down on the deal, known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), and would have no ability to make changes or filibuster it.
According to the Times, however, the bill being considered by the Senate would permit lawmakers to vote to revoke the president’s fast-track authority if they dislike the final TPP trade deal.
Obama has argued that the 12-nation agreement, which covers some 40 percent of the global economy, is critical to keeping China from dictating trade, labor and environmental standards in the Asia-Pacific region,
Politico reported last week.
The accord would also reduce tariffs on a plethora of goods and services and impact some 40 percent of U.S. imports and exports, according to the Times.
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