Courtesy of Mish.
Democrats Throw Obama Under the Bus
In rare political reverse alignment, Senate republicans voted for Obama's Fast Track proposal while Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., was the only Democrat to vote with Republicans.
To proceed, the bill needed a super-majority of 60 votes. In a vote likely to shock president Obama, Fast Track Failed 52-45
Senate Republicans have been working with the Obama administration to reauthorize fast track negotiating authority aimed at assisting Obama in finalizing a trade pact with 11 Asia-Pacific nations. Fast track authority authorizes the president to submit to Congress negotiated trade deals that can only be approved or rejected, not amended, on an expedited basis.
The Senate Finance Committee approved the bill, 20-6, in a bipartisan vote last month. Chairman Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, and Senate GOP leaders believed they had reached an agreement with the panel's top Democrat, Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., to begin debate this week on the fast track legislation, with assurances that it would move in tandem with a trade adjustment assistance package to aid American workers negatively affected by trade deals.
However, Democrats en masse demanded Tuesday that Republicans include in the deal two additional, committee-approved bills: a non-controversial measure supporting African economies and a customs enforcement measure that includes controversial language aimed at cracking down on China for currency manipulation.
Wyden announced Democrats could not move forward unless there was assurances that "all four of the measures I've described are actually enacted."
Republicans balked. "What I'm not going to put up with is the minority trying to craft a bill before we even get on it. That's just simply unacceptable," said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.
Democrats' maneuvering also puts them at odds with the White House, which opposes the currency manipulation language because it says it could threaten the underlying Trans-Pacific Partnership the administration is trying to finalize. The White House has also raised concerns that the measure would fray diplomatic relations with China and potentially undermine the Federal Reserve.
"If it were part of (trade promotion authority), we all know it would kill it," McConnell said.
"What the Democrats are doing today by trying to block us from even getting on this legislation is throwing their own president under the bus," added Sen. John Thune, R-S.D.
Democrats Gang Up on Obama
Also consider Senate Democrats gang up to delay fast-track trade bill. …
