[CTC] Fast Track cloture vote defeated

[Arthur Stamoulis]

All Dems except Sen. Carper opposed cloture.  This is an impressive victory and a testament to your work — but we should all expect additional votes soon.



http://blogs.rollcall.com/wgdb/obamas-fast-track-trade-bill-filibustered/?dcz=emailalert <http://blogs.rollcall.com/wgdb/obamas-fast-track-trade-bill-filibustered/?dcz=emailalert>
 
 
Obama’s Fast-Track Trade Bill Filibustered
 
Roll Call
By Steven Dennis
May 12, 2015
 
The Senate blocked President Barack Obama’s top trade priority Tuesday, with the president’s own party abandoning him en masse.

Pro-trade Democrats insisted that several issues be bundled into the so-called fast-track trade authority bill, including a currency-related bill, but Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell <http://www.rollcall.com/members/202.html>, R-Ky., balked, only agreeing to votes on amendments instead.

The 52-45 vote fell well short of the 60 votes needed.

White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest preemptively called the defeat a “procedural SNAFU” and said the president will continue to try and push the bill through the Senate. <http://blogs.rollcall.com/white-house/white-house-brushes-off-fast-track-failure-snafu/>
But it marks a huge setback for Obama, who has made a concerted and relatively rare, personal lobbying effort to push the trade deal over the finish line. He’s also sharply criticized opponents of the deal in his own party, and Elizabeth Warren <http://www.rollcall.com/members/46463.html>, D-Mass., in particular, who have ripped him for hiding the details of trade agreements from the public until after he gets fast-track authority.

Ron Wyden <http://www.rollcall.com/members/406.html>, the ranking Democrat who shepherded fast-track through the Finance Committee, earlier tweeted he would vote “no” unless the bills move forward together.

The White House opposes attaching currency enforcement measures, worrying they could imperil the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement with Asian countries and potentially imperil the independence of the Federal Reserve.

Earnest said existing policy has already succeeded in getting China and Japan to begin “to level the playing field” on their currencies, noting China’s currency has appreciated 30 percent against the dollar since 2010.

However, critics of the administration have noted that the administration has repeatedly certified that China and other countries are not manipulating their currency in semi-annual reports on the issue.

Minority Leader Harry Reid <http://www.rollcall.com/members/337.html>, D-Nev., warned Democrats wanted all four bills in the trade package and questioned how “robust” the amendment process would be.

Many Democrats want ironclad assurances that the currency and other provisions will become law, not just have a chance to lose on the Senate floor.

Unless they are included in the bill — or Obama vows not to sign it until they are all on his desk — it’s hard to see that happening.

Earnest also said that the White House wasn’t particularly upset at former Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton for not weighing in to support the bill.

He noted she has a campaign to run.

Niels Lesniewski contributed to this report.
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