[CTC] Obama to meet New Democrat Coalition

[Arthur Stamoulis]

POLITICO
Obama to meet New Democrat Coalition

By Lauren French and John Bresnahan and Jake Sherman 

4/28/15 8:56 PM EDT
President Barack Obama will meet with moderate Democrats to discuss his economic agenda, a meeting that will likely include discussion of a contentious trade bill Congress is set to consider.

The four dozen members of the New Democrat Coalition were invited to a Thursday afternoon meeting at the White House, according to congressional sources.

Congress is set to consider a bill giving Obama wide authority to negotiate trade deals with foreign countries without fear of lawmakers amending or slowing down the final package once it hits Capitol Hill. Republicans are slightly more in favor of approving the measure, called trade promotion authority, than Democrats but there is deep skepticism among conservatives about giving the president more executive authority.

Obama will have to push hard on moderate Democrats, like the pro-business members in the New Democrat Coalition, if the bill has any hope of passing the House — making the 46 lawmakers in that caucus highly valuable to the White House’s effort to secure a broader trade deal with Pacific nations. The trade promotion authority bill has cleared the Ways and Means and Senate Finance committees and will next be considered by both chambers in the coming months.

Three members of the New Democrats — Rep. Mike Quigley (D-Ill.), Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), and Rep. Greg Meeks (D-N.Y.) — plan to hold a press call on Wednesday to pressure their fellow Democrats to give Obama the trade authority.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he expects the legislation to come to a vote in “very soon.”

Obama is also scheduled to have lunch with Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi in his private dining room Wednesday — a continuation of regular discussions the top Democrat in the House has with the White House. Pelosi (D-Calif.) has repeatedly stressed she would like to find a “path to yes” on the trade promotion authority and the Trans-Pacific Partnership deal but the vast majority of her conference is deeply skeptical of the proposals.


Arthur Stamoulis
Citizens Trade Campaign
(202) 494-8826




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