Fast-Track Trade Measure Won’t Pass Congress, DeLauro Says
A U.S. House Democrat who opposes President Barack Obama’s push for a process allowing for speedy approval of trade agreements predicted the proposal will fail in Congress, saying she wants lawmakers to have a stronger role.
“We’ve seen a loss of jobs and a depression of wages” resulting from prior trade agreements, said Representative Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut during a meeting with Bloomberg News editors and reporters Friday in New York. “Those issues affect not just Democrats, but the nation broadly.”
DeLauro said “an overwhelming” number of House Democrats would oppose Obama’s request for fast-track authority, which would limit Congress to an up-or-down vote on trade agreements with no amendments. She said she didn’t know how many House Republicans might support the proposal, and said she is encouraging members of both parties to oppose it.
Congress last granted the president fast-track authority in 2002, and it expired in 2007. Renewing it is a priority for Obama. He is backed by a number of Republicans in a rare instance of the president gaining stronger support from that party than from his fellow Democrats.
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http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2015-03-13/fast-track-trade-measure-won-t-pass-u-s-congress-delauro-says
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