June 11, 2015 10:55 a.m. ET
WASHINGTON—The House is expected to begin its debate Thursday on fast-track trade negotiating powers for President Barack Obama by taking up a related measure that would include funding for a program to help workers harmed by trade with foreign nations.
A final vote on the fast-track measure—which would allow Mr. Obama and his successors to put trade bills before Congress for an up-or-down vote with no amendments—is expected on Friday. Such a measure is seen as crucial in winning concessions in trade negotiations.
House leaders set up the complex series of votes that will begin Thursday in a bid to beat back an uprising among Democrats threatening to scuttle the fast-track legislation passed by the Senate last month because it would pay for the workers program with cuts to Medicare providers.
Under a deal negotiated late Wednesday by House Speaker John Boehner (R., Ohio) and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) the House will vote Thursday on a package of trade preferences for sub-Saharan Africa, which would include a new funding mechanism for the workers aid. The aid would be paid for by provisions cracking down on tax fraud and boosting tax compliance.
The fast-track trade bill passed by the Senate last month included the workers aid program in a delicate compromise to win over that chamber’s Democrats.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) indicated that he would quickly bring the new sub-Sahara trade preferences bill, including the new way to pay for aid to workers, up for a vote. The Senate cleared its own version of that bill last month, without the alternative workers aid money.
The House plan would allow Democrats to vote for fast-track without worrying that they would be criticized for voting for Medicare cuts. The strategy, though, is still something of a gamble by House leaders. Even with the agreement, final passage of the fast-track bill remains uncertain given the complicated series of political and procedural moves.
The plan set up by House leaders was designed to ensure that the House passes the Senate-approved bill intact, meaning the measure wouldn't need to go back to the Senate and could go straight to Mr. Obama for his signature.
Under the plan, there will be two votes Thursday and as many as three on Friday. On Thursday the House will vote on the sub-Saharan trade preferences bill, with the alternative aid funding mechanism, and it will also hold a procedural vote, which gives opponents another opportunity to undermine the fast-track bill.
On Friday, the House would first hold two votes, one on the portion the Senate bill that deals with worker aid legislation—the one funded by cuts to Medicare providers—and then on the part of the bill providing fast-track powers to Mr. Obama. The two issues were split up in a procedural maneuver known as “dividing the question” to allow conservatives opposed to the workers aid to vote against it.
If the House passes the aid portion, it would then move onto the fast-track portion. House passage of the two parts of the Senate-passed measure would send it directly to Mr. Obama for his signature – and the funding mechanism would have been changed, assuming Thursday passage of the sub-Sahara trade preferences bill.
If the worker aid portion is defeated, the fast-track vote wouldn't be held and House leaders would have to regroup.
If both of the measures pass, the House would hold a third vote on a customs and enforcement bill that includes measures to combat unfair trade practices. The Senate passed a similar bill last month. The two chambers would need to reconcile differences before the customs bill could head to the president.
Whether Democrats will go along with the strategy remained unclear. Republicans have said it is Mr. Obama’s job to line up Democrats in support of the Senate-passed bill that combines fast-track trade procedures with an extension of trade adjustment assistance.
“Republicans are going to do our part, but the president will have to deliver” to get this done, Kevin Smith, a spokesman for Mr. Boehner, said in a statement.
Write to Siobhan Hughes at siobhan.hughes@wsj.com
WASHINGTON—The House is expected to begin its debate Thursday on fast-track trade negotiating powers for President Barack Obama by taking up a related measure that would include funding for a program to help workers harmed by trade with foreign nations.
A final vote on the fast-track measure—which would allow Mr. Obama and his successors to put trade bills before Congress for an up-or-down vote with no amendments—is expected on Friday. Such a measure is seen as crucial in winning concessions in trade negotiations.
House leaders set up the complex series of votes that will begin Thursday in a bid to beat back an uprising among Democrats threatening to scuttle the fast-track legislation passed by the Senate last month because it would pay for the workers program with cuts to Medicare providers.
Under a deal negotiated late Wednesday by House Speaker John Boehner (R., Ohio) and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) the House will vote Thursday on a package of trade preferences for sub-Saharan Africa, which would include a new funding mechanism for the workers aid. The aid would be paid for by provisions cracking down on tax fraud and boosting tax compliance.
The fast-track trade bill passed by the Senate last month included the workers aid program in a delicate compromise to win over that chamber’s Democrats.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) indicated that he would quickly bring the new sub-Sahara trade preferences bill, including the new way to pay for aid to workers, up for a vote. The Senate cleared its own version of that bill last month, without the alternative workers aid money.
The House plan would allow Democrats to vote for fast-track without worrying that they would be criticized for voting for Medicare cuts. The strategy, though, is still something of a gamble by House leaders. Even with the agreement, final passage of the fast-track bill remains uncertain given the complicated series of political and procedural moves.
The plan set up by House leaders was designed to ensure that the House passes the Senate-approved bill intact, meaning the measure wouldn't need to go back to the Senate and could go straight to Mr. Obama for his signature.
Under the plan, there will be two votes Thursday and as many as three on Friday. On Thursday the House will vote on the sub-Saharan trade preferences bill, with the alternative aid funding mechanism, and it will also hold a procedural vote, which gives opponents another opportunity to undermine the fast-track bill.
On Friday, the House would first hold two votes, one on the portion the Senate bill that deals with worker aid legislation—the one funded by cuts to Medicare providers—and then on the part of the bill providing fast-track powers to Mr. Obama. The two issues were split up in a procedural maneuver known as “dividing the question” to allow conservatives opposed to the workers aid to vote against it.
If the House passes the aid portion, it would then move onto the fast-track portion. House passage of the two parts of the Senate-passed measure would send it directly to Mr. Obama for his signature – and the funding mechanism would have been changed, assuming Thursday passage of the sub-Sahara trade preferences bill.
If the worker aid portion is defeated, the fast-track vote wouldn't be held and House leaders would have to regroup.
If both of the measures pass, the House would hold a third vote on a customs and enforcement bill that includes measures to combat unfair trade practices. The Senate passed a similar bill last month. The two chambers would need to reconcile differences before the customs bill could head to the president.
Whether Democrats will go along with the strategy remained unclear. Republicans have said it is Mr. Obama’s job to line up Democrats in support of the Senate-passed bill that combines fast-track trade procedures with an extension of trade adjustment assistance.
“Republicans are going to do our part, but the president will have to deliver” to get this done, Kevin Smith, a spokesman for Mr. Boehner, said in a statement.
Write to Siobhan Hughes at siobhan.hughes@wsj.com
via Smart Health Shop Forum http://ift.tt/1IJWLoN
No comments:
Post a Comment