June 22, 2015
By LaborPress
The House on June 18 approved a measure that would give President Barack Obama “fast-track” authority on the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement. The bill does not include trade adjustment assistance, financial aid and retraining for workers who would lose their jobs because of the trade deal.
The 218-208 vote, largely along party lines, is the latest move in the complicated political maneuverings on the TPP. Last week, Democrats who oppose the TPP joined with Republicans to defeat trade adjustment assistance in an attempt to derail the whole trade deal. House Republicans now plan to tack the worker-aid program onto an unrelated bill. They hope that will encourage the Senate, which approved a fast-track bill last month that included the program, to pass their version. Read more
