Following Tuesday’s failed motion, McConnell moved to reconsider the vote at a later date.
“We worked in good faith all year—all year long—to formulate a package that both parties could support,” the GOP’s McConnell said, referencing negotiations with Wyden and others.
“What we’ve just witnessed here is the Democratic Senate shutdown the opportunity to debate the top economic priority of the Democratic president of the United States,” he added.
The Senate vote is one of a likely series of congressional hurdles to be overcome that will hinge on the support of a handful of Democrats. The White House has launched a campaign blitz directed at them in support of granting the president authority to speed trade deals through Congress.
Fast-track legislation gives lawmakers the right to set negotiating objectives but restricts them to a yes-or-no vote on trade deals such as the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership, or TPP, a potential legacy-defining achievement for Obama.
McConnell, hoping to shore up support, reminded his fellow senators that Tuesday’s vote simply would pave the way for debating fast-track legislation.
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Pacific Trade Agreement failed its first test in the U.S. Senate
TRADE BILL FAILS PROCEDURAL VOTE IN SENATE
CNBC.com
The Pacific Trade Agreement failed its first test in the U.S. Senate on Tuesday after a key Democrat said he would vote against a procedural vote to support President Barack Obama’s diplomatic pivot to Asia.
Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden said Tuesday that he will vote “no” in the procedural hurdle to grant the president Trade Promotion Authority—or so-called “fast-track” status for trade deals. The final vote saw 52 “yea” and 45 “nay” votes—shy of the 60 affirmatives required to pass the procedural hurdle.
An aide to Wyden, the senior Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, said the senator was concerned about a lack of enforcement provisions he wants to be included before going forward.
Following Wyden’s announcement, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-UT) said the trade promotion bill “may be dead.” He added that democrats are now making more demands than they had previously agreed to.
White House spokesman Josh Earnest said on Tuesday that the administration is hopeful the U.S. Senate can work through what he called a “procedural snafu.”
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell needed the support of at least six Democrats to move the bill forward. Failure sends a worrying signal about the level of support for fast track, which unions, environmental and consumer groups strongly oppose, as do some conservatives.
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Source: http://nesaranews.blogspot.com/2015/05/pacific-trade-agreement-failed-its.html
