President Obama is huddling with House Democrats on Capitol Hill Friday morning ahead of a crucial vote on granting Mr. Obama “fast track” authority to negotiate trade deals, a Democratic aide said.
Mr. Obama has found himself aligned with many Hill Republicans on the matter, notably Rep. Paul Ryan, the Wisconsin Republican and chairman of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, who is helping shepherd the effort in the House.
The president has devoted a significant amount of time and effort lobbying his own party on the bid to give him “trade promotion authority,” which would allow him to send trade pacts like the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership to Congress for an up-or-down vote without opportunities for amendments.
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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