House Dem urges Senate to tank trade vote

Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) urged lawmakers across the Capitol on Tuesday to defeat a key procedural vote to advance fast-track trade authority legislation.

One of the most liberal House Democrats argued the measure, which would allow President Obama to approve trade agreements through Congress with a simple majority vote, minimizes lawmakers’ role.

The Senate will vote on a motion to proceed to the trade legislation at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, which will require 60 votes to advance. But it was unclear ahead of the vote whether it would secure the necessary supermajority.

{mosads}”The Senate’s about to begin debate on Trade Promotion Authority. That is Congress ceding all authority to the president to negotiate agreements secretly, bring them before these bodies, and say take it or leave it, up or down vote, no amendments. Ceding our constitutional authority,” DeFazio said from the House floor.

“I hope the Senate turns him down,” DeFazio said of President Obama.

DeFazio blasted the president for a speech promoting his trade agenda at Nike’s headquarters in Beaverton, Ore. last week. The Oregon Democrat said he wasn’t offended by the lack of an invitation to the speech, despite his district’s proximity.

“The president went to Oregon last week to Nike who originated the idea of chasing cheap labor around the world and outsourcing U.S. production. And he gave a speech. I wasn’t invited. That was fine with me,” DeFazio said.

DeFazio said the president went on to insult Democrats who oppose fast-track trade authority.

“He went there to make fun of people like me who have fought these trade agreements for more than 20 years and been more right than wrong about the impact of these trade agreements,” DeFazio said.

“On trade, I actually think some of my dearest friends are wrong. They’re just wrong,” Obama said of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal during his speech. “This is the most progressive trade deal in history.”