[CTC] White House says it will seek "fast-track" trade authority

[Arthur Stamoulis]

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/03/01/us-obama-trade-idUSBRE9200PK20130301

White House says it will seek "fast-track" trade authority
By Doug Palmer
WASHINGTON | Fri Mar 1, 2013 6:05pm EST
(Reuters) - The White House on Friday said it would work for approval  
of politically contentious legislation that would ease the way for new  
trade deals, as it tries to wrap up talks on an Asia-Pacific free- 
trade agreement this year.

But the brief reference to the legislation known as "trade promotion  
authority" in an annual report on the president's trade agenda failed  
to impress some key Republicans who have been pressing for action on  
the issue for years.

House of Representative Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp, a  
Michigan Republican, urged President Barack Obama to "demonstrate his  
commitment to a vigorous and productive trade policy" by opening talks  
with Congress on the "fast track" powers and "nominating a qualified  
and committed U.S. trade representative."

The current U.S. trade representative, Ron Kirk, plans to step down  
soon. That will leave the position of chief U.S. trade negotiator  
vacant as the United States prepares to launch trade talks with the  
European Union and as it seeks to finish talks on a Trans-Pacific  
Partnership pact by the end of the year.

Trade promotion authority, also known as TPA or "fast track," allows  
the White House to submit deals to Congress for straight up-or-down  
votes without any amendments.

It is considered essential to assuring other countries that any deal  
they reach with the United States will not be picked apart by U.S.  
lawmakers during the approval process.

Both Camp and Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, a Democrat  
from Montana, have announced plans to pursue TPA legislation. But many  
lawmakers believe a strong push from Obama is needed because trade  
bills are unpopular with many Democrats.

After four years of telling Congress they would seek TPA at "the  
appropriate time," the annual trade agenda released on Friday by the  
U.S. trade representative's office contained the administration's most  
forward-leaning language yet.

"To facilitate the conclusion, approval, and implementation of market- 
opening negotiating efforts, we will also work with Congress on Trade  
Promotion Authority. Such authority will guide current and future  
negotiations, and will thus support a jobs-focused trade agenda moving  
forward," the report said.

ASIA-PACIFIC TRADE PUSH

The Obama administration, even without the authority, has pursued the  
proposed Trans-Pacific accord between the United States and 10 other  
countries in the Asia-Pacific region.

But negotiators hope to finish those talks this year, possibly as  
early as the annual meeting of leaders from Asia-Pacific Economic  
Cooperation nations in October in Bali.

That could be hard if the White House does not have TPA.

"Whether you're talking about the Trans-Pacific Partnership or a U.S.- 
EU FTA, they're both going to be complicated and having them subject  
to amendment will make it tough to get them through the Senate," said  
Timothy Punke, a former Senate aide who is now a partner at Monument  
Policy Group.

Congress last approved TPA legislation in 2002, following a bitter  
fight. Republicans, who generally favor free trade, passed the bill  
over the objections of Democrats, many of whom blame past trade  
agreements for U.S. job losses.

Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah, the top Republican on the Senate Finance  
Committee, said on Friday he was pleased the White House was "finally"  
asking for renewal of the legislation.

But "making TPA a reality requires more than talk, it demands real  
leadership and action from the president," Hatch said, calling the  
legislation an essential "lynchpin" for Obama's trade agenda.

Senator Rob Portman, an Ohio Republican and former U.S. trade  
representative under President George W. Bush, welcomed the statement  
but said it was critical the administration "focus needed resources to  
developing and passing TPA."

The U.S. business community has made passage of TPA one of its top  
priorities this year.

"We think it's a critical tool to effectively negotiate agreements and  
get them passed by Congress," said John Engler, president of the  
Business Roundtable and a former Michigan Republican governor.

Christopher Wenk, senior director of international policy at the U.S.  
Chamber of Commerce, said his group welcomed the administration's  
acknowledgement that "TPA needs to be on the agenda" as it pursues an  
expanding list of trade initiatives.

(Reporting by Doug Palmer; Editing by Todd Eastham and Paul Simao)
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