Republican-led Congress hands Obama major win on trade

The US Congress has granted President Barack Obama and his successor a powerful tool to get trade deals approved: so-called “fast-track” authority that shields proposed pacts from legislative meddling, Voice of America reported Thursday.

By a 60-38 vote, the Senate passed Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) late Wednesday, a measure that boosts prospects for two of the biggest trade deals in US history. Under TPA, the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership and the Trans-Pacific Partnership would be approved with simple-majority congressional votes. Lawmakers could not amend either accord.

While the turbulent process was embarrassing for the president and deeply confusing for foreign negotiating partners, Obama now has the leverage he sought to force the final concessions needed to wrap up a free-trade pact bringing together 12 nations along the Pacific Rim. Talks should resume soon, and American officials hope for a deal in short order, The New York Times reported.

White House officials argued that Obama’s efforts were crucial because he delivered enough Democrats to put the measure over the top. Yet he delivered relatively few Democratic votes and had to be saved by Republicans after House Democrats blocked his trade package. Democratic opponents of the trade legislation bristled at what they saw as the president’s belittling their concerns and accusing them of making up arguments.

The legislation sent to Obama allows him to submit trade deals to Congress for up-or-down votes without amendments. But that means his Democratic critics will have another shot at defeating the Trans-Pacific Partnership if it is completed and sent to Congress for approval.

Obama’s trade representative, Michael B. Froman, will now renew negotiations with individual countries seeking to join the trade pact to work on outstanding issues. After that, the chief negotiators of all 12 countries will gather in hopes of pushing through the final disputes. Other nations have held off backing down on the toughest issues to see whether Obama would have the ability to deliver congressional approval.