[CTC] Senior administration official: It's too early to gauge TPP support

[Arthur Stamoulis]

Let’s keep up the pressure so that their gauge stays stuck on empty…


POLITICO
 
Senior administration official: It's too early to gauge TPP support
 
By Doug Palmer
01/27/2016 05:24 PM EDT

A senior administration official today expressed confidence the White House could build support for passing the Trans-Pacific Partnership this year, despite the opposition of leading presidential candidates and concerns raised by senior Republicans about details of the pact. 

"We're hopeful that both Republicans and Democrats in Congress will support getting it done and getting it done this year," the official told reporters, speaking on condition he not be identified. But "it's still too early for any kind of whip count" because many members are still making up their minds, he said.

The opposition of some leading presidential candidates, like Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, "underscores that we'd like to see us get this done, get this through Congress, at the earliest possible date," he said in response to a question.

The senior administration official said he believed lawmakers would support the agreement once they understood the benefits for their districts and states, as well as the costs of failing to approve it. He expressed confidence they could resolve concerns Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch and others have raised about pharmaceutical, tobacco and other provisions of the pact.

The administration will work with Republican leaders to find the best time for a vote, the official said.

"All we can do is make sure we're educating members, addressing their concerns and then working with the leadership as they determine what the legislative calendar looks like for the year and what the most conducive window would be" for a vote, he said.


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