[CTC] Sessions Says Fast Track Vote Planned For Thursday, After Committee Approves Rule

[Arthur Stamoulis]

Inside U.S. Trade
Sessions Says TPA Vote Planned For Thursday, After Committee Approves Rule
Posted: June 17, 2015
Updated: After the House Rules Committee late Wednesday afternoon (June 17) approved a rule for considering a bill that will serve as the vehicle for stand-alone Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) legislation, Committee Chairman Pete Sessions (R-TX) said the House plans to vote on both the rule and TPA itself on Thursday.

Sessions said he believes the plan for a quick vote reflects the deal that has been worked out between all the those members of Congress who have an interest in the trade legislation. He also said the vehicle for TPA was agreed upon by House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY).

However, informed sources said the votes of House Democrats for a stand-alone TPA bill were not locked in as of this afternoon, and that the Republican leadership's push for a vote is an effort to jam these members. Similarly, a Senate aide said after the House Rules meeting that the votes of “most Senate Democrats” who supported TPA are still up in the air. Discussions are continuing “on what needs to happen to get everything done,” he said.  

In the Senate, support of all but two of the 14 Democrats who voted for the TPA bill is critical for passage.  Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) earlier this afternoon said she would vote against cloture on a stand-alone TPA bill if comes over from the House since it does not include a reauthorization of Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA).

TPA was added to H.R. 2146, which deals with pensions for firefighters and other public employees. It is a revenue measure that has been passed by the House and the Senate, with amendments.

Speaking to reporters, Sessions acknowledged that because this legislation has already been passed by both chambers, it has the effect of expediting Senate consideration once the House passes an amended version with TPA.

This is because such a bill is sent to the Senate as a “message,” which can be taken up in the Senate immediately without requiring a motion to proceed. This means the Senate would only have to invoke cloture once on the standalone TPA bill, as opposed to also having to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to the bill.

The rule for considering H.R. 2146 does not permit any amendments and allows for only one hour of total debate, divided equally between the two parties.

The Rules Committee rejected two amendments offered during the meeting in party-line votes. One from Ranking Member Louise Slaughter (D-NY) would have subjected TPA to an open amendment process. The second was offered by Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-FL) would have dealt with strengthening trade remedy laws.

In response to a question from Hastings during the abruptly-called meeting, Sessions said that the legislation cannot be subjected to a motion to recommit because it is a message from the Senate.

Hastings criticized the rule because it would require Democrats who oppose TPA to vote against the pension legislation, which many in the party support. But Sessions rejected the notion that the rule was being crafted to force Democrats to go on record as opposing a bill that they actually support.


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