The White House called on Democrats to drop their opposition to sweeping free trade negotiations on Thursday after the introduction of bill claiming to introduce more oversight and transparency into the process.
Barack Obama risks a bumpy ride in Congress as the US concludes talks with Asia and the Europe that have been criticised for being too secretive and lacking proper safeguards to protect US jobs.
But Senate finance committee leaders claim that the terms of their proposed Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) legislation will allow Congress to remove the authority if it believes the talks are heading the wrong direction.
“I’m proud this bipartisan bill creates what I expect to be unprecedented transparency in trade negotiations, and ensures future trade deals break new ground to promote human rights, improve labor conditions, and safeguard the environment,” said ranking Democrat Ron Wyden.
“The bill put forward today would help us write those rules in a way that avoids the mistakes from our past, seizes opportunities for our future, and stays true to our values,” added Obama in a statement.
“I look forward to working with Democrats and Republicans in Congress to pass this bill, seize this opportunity, and support more good American jobs with the wages and benefits hardworking families deserve.”
The limited new congressional oversight is unlikely to satisfy many critics in the Democratic party, however, who argue the notion of replacing fast-track with so-called “smart-track” trade authority will not prevent the administration negotiating away many vital trade protections.
“It is a race to the bottom,” said independent senator Bernie Sanders in a conference call with liberal activists on Wednesday evening. “Our workers should not be asked to compete against people who are making 56¢ an hour.”
Opponents of the deal also held a union rally on Capitol Hill on Wednesday attended by Democratic senators Sherrod Brown, Al Franken and Elizabeth Warren and representatives Rosa DeLauro and Keith Ellison.
Privately, committee staffers involved in drafting the the trade authority bill acknowledge they are unlikely win over more determined opponents, but hope the concessions agreed with Republicans and the White House will help increase the number of Democrats supporting the bill in the Senate from half a dozen to up 15.
Meaningful Democratic support in the Senate is seen as a vital precursor before a bigger battle in the House of Representative where many Tea Party Republicans are expected to join Democrats in opposing the granting of fast-track authority.
But Republican leaders in Congress are united in a rare alliance with Obama on the importance of granting relatively unfettered freedom to US negotiators.
“No potential trade partner is going to give our negotiators their best offer unless they know we can deliver on the deal,” Hatch told Thursday’s finance committee hearing. “We have to speak with one voice.”
