House punts on trade

House GOP leaders are punting on voting again on President Obama’s trade agenda, possibly until the end of July.

After Friday’s failed vote to pass aid for workers displaced by trade deals, known as Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA), Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) set up a process allowing the House to conduct a do-over of the vote by Tuesday.

{mosads}But Obama and GOP leadership aren’t yet in a position where TAA is any more likely to pass. So the House Rules Committee on Monday night attached a provision to a “rule” governing parameters for debate on the intelligence authorization bill that extends the possibility for the chamber to vote on TAA again to July 30.

The House will consider the rule containing the provision to extend the possible trade re-vote on Tuesday afternoon.

House Republicans are casting the extension as a means for buying time to move the trade package forward.

“We remain committed to getting TPA done, and this will give the president more time to communicate the consequences of not moving forward with his party,” Boehner spokesman Kevin Smith said.