[CTC] Senate barely passes cloture

[Arthur Stamoulis]

If the point of going in the Senate first was to build a sense of inevitability around Fast Track for the House, they failed miserably.


http://thehill.com/policy/finance/242795-senate-takes-key-step-toward-passing-fast-track-for-obama

Senate takes key step toward passing fast-track for Obama
Greg Nash 
By Jordain Carney - 05/21/15 10:55 AM EDT
The Senate has voted to end debate on fast-track trade legislation, handing a significant victory to President Obama and moving the bill a step closer to passage.

A final vote could come as soon as Thursday if senators agree to limit the final 30 hours of debate


Senators voted 62-38 on the bill, which will allow the president to send a sweeping Asia-Pacific trade deal to Congress for an up-or-down vote, and prevent the deal from being amended by Congress.
The vote was held open to allow senators to make up their minds. Democratic Sens. Patty Murray (Wash.), Maria Cantwell (Wash.) and Jeanne Shaheen (N.H.) were among the final Democratic yes votes. 

The very final vote was cast by Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio), a former U.S. trade representative for the Bush administration who is in a tough reelection cycle. He voted yes.

Eleven Democrats in total voted to end debate on a measure that badly divided Obama from his party. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) were among his opponents.

If the measure is approved by the Senate, it will set up an even tougher fight for Obama in the House, where opposition to the bill is stronger.

The vote comes as GOP Senate leaders scramble to finish up work ahead of the week-long Memorial Day recess.

In addition to the trade legislation, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) wants to wrap up surveillance and highway bills before senators leave town. The fight over the NSA could force a rare weekend session.  

Senators were unable to reach a deal on amendments prior to the vote that might have helped win it more Democratic support.

Senators push for additional amendments was complicated Wednesday by presidential hopeful Sen. Rand Paul who took over the Senate floor for more than 10 hours on Wednesday to lambast the government's surveillance programs.

But, because the Senate was debating the trade legislation, the Kentucky Republican was actually blocking his Senate colleagues from coming forward and offering, debating, and, potentially, voting on amendments.

Democrats however placed the blame on the lack of amendment votes squarely on McConnell.

“After one full day of debate, the majority leader shut down debate,” Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), a fierce fast-track critic, said ahead of the vote. “That's an open process?”

The Ohio Democrat, who has been a staunch opponent of the trade bill, suggested that senators should stay potentially through the week-long Memorial Day recess to have more amendment votes on the trade legislation.

“I doesn’t really matter about the time,” he said.

 

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