Legislation key to sealing a Pacific trade pact passed another important test in the US Senate on Thursday, boosting hopes for a deal that is central to Barack Obama’s strategic shift towards Asia.
The Senate voted 62-38 to limit debate on a bill granting the White House authority to speed trade deals through Congress, which is opposed by many of Obama’s fellow Democrats.
The bill would grant Obama “trade promotion authority” – speeding the passage of trade bills by barring Congress from adding amendments or altering language – and is considered the first step towards US approval of the controversial Trans Pacific Partnership, which is the largest free trade agreement in world history. The proposed Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) with the US may follow.
The vote will move consideration of the bill forward with a final vote expected to come on Friday.
However, the bill faces a number of obstacles as controversial amendments, including one offered by Ohio Republican Rob Portman to address currency manipulation, have yet to be considered.
Further, even if the bill advances through the Senate, it faces uncertain prospects in the House of Representatives, where a coalition of liberal Democrats and Tea Party Republicans both oppose it.
Thursday’s cloture vote – to bring debate to a close – happened in the middle of a jam-packed Senate schedule in advance of the Memorial Day recess.
In addition to considering trade, the Senate is facing a number of important deadlines including the expiration of section 215 of the Patriot Act as well as the Highway Trust Fund.
The result has been a frenetic pace, punctuated by Kentucky Republican Rand Paul’s 10-and-a-half-hour floor speech on NSA surveillance on Wednesday, as senators rush to wrap up these crucial bills and return to their constituents for the remainder of May.
