Senators to Introduce TPA Legislation Next Week, Commerce Secretary Pritzker Says
Senators will introduce trade promotion authority legislation next week, a top Obama administration official said yesterday, according to a report in The Hill. President Obama wants the authority in order to move trade deals like the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) through Congress, but his push is facing strong opposition from liberal lawmakers, particularly in the House.
Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker expects a “fast-track” bill to be introduced early next week in the Senate and said in a call with reporters that she is “anxiously awaiting to see the language.” Pritzker is the first administration official to suggest a firm timeline for legislation that would grant President Obama “fast-track” powers for negotiating trade deals.
Speculation has been swirling about when the Senate Finance Committee would start moving on a bill. Senate aides have said negotiations between Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and ranking member Ron Wyden (D-OR) are making progress but that no deal had been struck.
