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Feb 18, 2014 02:00 am | Simon Lester
In
recent weeks, the U.S. trade agenda has run into some serious
roadblocks. While negotiations with our trading partners in the Pacific
and Europe continue, prospects for getting completed trade agreements
approved by Congress any time soon are looking dim.Most experts believe that approval will not happen without Congress first granting Trade Promotion Authority, through which Congress gives the President guidance on what should be in these agreements and also promises an up or down vote on the final negotiated text. But in the Senate, Harry Reid has announced his opposition to granting such authority; and in the House, Nancy Pelosi has also said no. The incoming chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, Ron Wyden, has a relatively good record on trade, but apparently wants to take time to consult with his colleagues before moving forward. Over in the Executive Branch, President Obama did briefly mention the trade agenda in his State of the Union speech, but has not pushed very hard to convince others in his party. Clearly, the Democrats do not see trade as a winning issue for them.
read morehttp://server1.nationalinterest.org/commentary/free-trade-deals-or-tools-global-governance-9889
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