President Obama and other top White House officials are in regular communication with leaders on Capitol Hill as the administration makes a last-ditch attempt to push controversial trade legislation past the finish line.
White House press secretary Josh Earnest said the president called House Speaker John A. Boehner on Thursday, and other officials also are making calls to leading lawmakers.
“Everybody from the president on down, including many members of his team here at the White House and his economic team across the administration, are making an aggressive case to members of Congress about why they should support this trade package that is scheduled for a vote in the House of Representatives over the next couple of days,” Mr. Earnest told reporters. “Democrats and Republicans should be able to seize common ground to advance values that they share.”
The House on Thursday voted on the first piece of a package of trade bills, with votes expected to continue Friday. The biggest piece of the trade package is Trade Promotion Authority (TPA), which would give Mr. Obama the power to negotiate major trade deals and then submit them to Congress for a simple up-or-down vote.
The president has run into significant opposition within his own party on TPA. As the vote nears, the White House is trying to get more Democrats on board by stressing the package represents true progressive values.
“We’re talking about trying to expand economic opportunity for every American, and that should be an area where Democrats and Republicans can find common ground,” Mr. Earnest said. “In the past, we often haven’t been able to, but here’s a prime opportunity for us to do it entirely consistent with the kinds of progressive values that the president has championed throughout his time here at the White House.”
SEE ALSO: House clears first trade bill, setting stage for Friday showdown
• Ben Wolfgang can be reached at bwolfgang@washingtontimes.com.
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