Trade Bill Clears House Hurdle as GOP Blocks Democratic Alternative
Trade Bill Clears House Hurdle as GOP Blocks Democratic Alternative
Paul Ryan frustrated Democrats by using a little-known rule to bar a committee vote on an alternative version of fast track
By WILLIAM MAULDIN - Updated April 23, 2015 11:58 p.m. ET
A major trade bill favored by President Barack Obama cleared a hurdle in the House of Representatives on Thursday, with a top Republican moving to quash rival legislation favored by leading House Democrats.
The approval of so-called fast track trade legislation in the House Ways & Means Committee, a day after it cleared a Senate committee, marked a win for the Obama administration, which is allied with Republican leadership in supporting the measure. The bill, also known as trade promotion authority, would ease passage of the sweeping Pacific trade deal that the administration is negotiating with Japan and 10 other nations.
But the bitter dispute Thursday in the House committee highlighted the headwinds the legislation faces on the floor of the House of Representatives, where the administration is seeking to recruit a small but crucial cadre of Democratic votes, over the opposition of Rep. Nancy Pelosi and other top lawmakers in Mr. Obama’s party.
Rep. Paul Ryan (R., Wis.) frustrated Democrats by using a little-known House rule to bar a committee vote on an alternative version of fast track that was brought by Rep. Sander Levin, the panel’s top Democrat. “Rules are rules, and I think it’s important to follow the rules,” Mr. Ryan said....
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http://www.wsj.com/articles/trade-bill-clears-house-hurdle-as-gop-blocks-democratic-alternative-1429834954
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