Washington Week Ahead: White House seeks to sell trade agenda, close TPP deal
WASHINGTON, Jan. 25, 2015 - Key congressional committees start laying the groundwork this week for pushing the Obama administration's trade agenda through Congress with back-to-back meetings with U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman.
Froman will appear Tuesday morning before the Senate Finance Committee and then will be questioned in the afternoon by the House Ways and Means Committee.
The hearings come as Senate Finance Chairman Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, continues to talk with the panel's ranking Democrat, Ron Wyden or Oregon, about details of a bill that would give the president fast-track negotiating power, or trade promotion authority, which some on the Hill see as necessary to wrap up negotiations with Japan on a Pacific Rim trade agreement. A TPA bill is expected to be introduced next month.
Froman will be questioned about progress on the Trans-Pacific Partnership and pressed to make sure various trade concerns are addressed in the final talks. Senate Finance member Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., along with the ranking Democrat on Ways and Means, Sander Levin of Michigan, and other lawmakers have been demanding that the deal include language to prevent countries from manipulating their currency.
The acting deputy trade ambassador, Wendy Cutler, will be meeting in Washington Wednesday with Japanese Ambassador Takeo Mori to talk about motor vehicle issues in the TPP negotiations.
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http://www.agri-pulse.com/Washington-week-ahead-White-House-seeks-to-sell-trade-agenda-close-TPP-deal-01252015.asp
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