WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — A final vote on the bill that would give Obama a fast track authority to promote new free trade agreements, known as trade promotion authority (TPA), is scheduled for Friday. However, the House is divided on whether to approve the fast track authority within a dozen votes.
“President Barack Obama will come to Capitol Hill to meet with House Democrats to try to save his trade agenda,” Politico reported on Friday ahead of the vote.
The fast track trade bill would give Obama authority to conclude negotiations on the TPP agreement with major Asia-Pacific countries with Congress giving a simple up or down vote without being able to amend the agreement.
TPA opponents argue the new US free trade deals will benefit large multinational corporations and lead to major job losses, environmental degradation and a decline in product safety standards.
