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The U.S. House of Representatives will most likely vote on Trade Promotion Authority as early as this Thursday or no later than the end of next week, U.S. Commerce Deputy Secretary Bruce Andrews told Global Atlanta on Monday.
Mr. Andrews was in Atlanta on June 8 for a series of workshops encouraging small- to medium-sized companies to expand their activities globally.
The two-day conference is being sponsored by the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum for 21 Pacific Rim member economies that promotes free trade throughout the Asia-Pacific region.
Other sponsors include APEC Philippines 2015, the Philippines’ Department of Industry and Trade as well as the U.S. Commerce and State Departments, USAID and the administration’s Executive Office.
Mr. Andrews has been crisscrossing the country to speak at conferences and with media about the importance of what is known as “fast-track authority.”
“It’s absolutely critical,” he said. “No country is going to want to negotiate a trade agreement with the U.S. if they think that the agreement is going to be amended by Congress.”
Citing an “op-ed” by Condoleezza Rice, the former secretary of state, that recently appeared in the Washington Post, he underscored her opinion that the TPA does not strip Congress of a role in negotiating agreements.
Mr. Andrews said that, instead, it allows Congress to provide “guidance” in trade negotiations and “set parameters.”
The TPA provides the president with the authority to negotiate international agreements that Congress can approve or disapprove but cannot amend or filibuster
When asked what would be the best and worst case scenarios for TPA, he instantly responded, “The best case is it passes; the worst case…there is no other choice but passing.”
The Senate passed its version on May 22 by a vote of 62-37 with the support of both Democrats and Republicans, albeit only 14 Democrats.
Mr. Andrews mentioned the positive role played by U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson, Georgia’s ranking senator who chairs the Senate subcommittee on trade, in helping to get the legislation passed.
“If TPA doesn’t pass then it will be hard to pass the TPP,” he added referring to the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership involving the following countries in addition to the U.S.:
Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam.
The pending 12-nation TPP isn’t expected to be sealed until and if Congress clears the fast-track bill.
Mr. Andrews added that countries such as Japan have made it clear that if the fast-track authority doesn’t pass then they wouldn’t support TPP because Congress would pick apart the agreement.
Should the House pass on fast-track authority, its version will need to be reconciled with that of the Senate.