Democrats are still opposed to anything that would advance the president’s free trade pact.

By JAKE SHERMAN 6/15/15

Congressional leaders and the White House are quickly finding there’s no easy option to revive President Barack Obama’s free trade initiative, leaving the White House’s top legislative priority in critical condition after Democrats turned against it in droves last week.
Millions of dollars and countless hours have been spent trying to pass Trade Promotion Authority, a key component in Obama’s quest to strike a trade deal with 11 other Pacific Rim countries. But Congress is now hung up on Trade Adjustment Assistance, a job training and aid program that typically rides alongside trade deals. One hundred and forty-four Democrats abandoned Obama on the TAA bill, which needs to pass for the legislation to be sent to the White House.

Party leaders in both houses of Congress are in touch with the White House in an attempt to figure out how to advance the legislation.
But House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, speaking to reporters Monday, said, “The best option right now” is for “the Democrats [to] come to their senses” and back TAA.
Democrats responded that it’s up to Republicans to figure out how to proceed.
“The point is, Republicans have to decide how they can go [forward], then we’ll have to make some response to that. Right now, they haven’t done that,” said Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.).
Pro-trade Democrats, including those close to the White House, would like to see Speaker John Boehner hold one vote on TAA and fast-track authority. Boehner (R-Ohio) split the vote last week, to give Republicans a chance to vote for fast-track authority, and Democrats a chance to vote for TAA. Since that failed, Democrats believe Boehner should put it back together, the theory being pro-trade Republicans and Democrats would vote for the legislation and send it to Obama’s desk.

But top House Republicans say there is no way that bill can pass the chamber, since scores of GOP lawmakers would dissent, due to objections to TAA.
“No chance of that passing,” one senior GOP lawmaker said. “None.”

Another option being floated, according to several sources, would be for leaders to insert TAA into an otherwise noncontroversial customs bill, which was passed overwhelmingly by the House last week. House GOP leaders are wary, though, because they think the inclusion of TAA could sink the bill.

Of course, Boehner could try to force another vote on TAA and hope that Obama can flip upward of 70 Democrats. That’s also extremely unlikely.
A less plausible option would be to try to insert TAA into another must-pass bill. But Democrats seem ready to oppose any legislation that includes TAA.
The speaker could also try to pass fast-track authority on its own, without TAA attached. But at least some of the 29 Democrats who voted for fast-track might oppose the legislation if help for workers displaced by trade isn’t part of the package. Senior aides doubt the Senate can pass a fast-track bill without the job training piece.
“We’ve always said that the price of getting TPA is TAA,” said Senate Finance Chairman Orrin Hatch of Utah.

Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn (R-Texas) was equally circumspect about the prospect of fast-track authority without job training.
“We will try to do the best we can, depending on what the House can pass,” he said Monday. “If they can pass something, I’m sure we will try. … It’s too important to give up on.”
Leaving a GOP leadership meeting Monday evening, McCarthy and Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) both told POLITICO there have been no firm decisions on how to proceed. But Republicans see this as Obama’s problem to solve.

“We obviously did a lot of heavy lifting over here to get the bill passed. I know the House leadership is trying to come up with a way forward,” Cornyn said. “But the truth is, this is the president’s problem, and it’s the Democrats who basically cut him off at the knees.”
To that end, House Republican leaders are holding open the option for another vote on TAA in the coming weeks. They have crafted a process to give themselves until the end of July to take a vote on TAA, while preserving their vote on fast-track.

That process would, in part, serve to highlight the pervasive Democratic disarray. But even passing that measure on the floor to give themselves more time could prove difficult.
The White House, meanwhile, continues to argue that Democratic opposition to TAA is nothing more than a procedural snag that House Republican leadership needs to work out. That comment has infuriated Democrats and Republicans alike, who recognize the stiff opposition the package faces.

“There’s a bipartisan majority in the House of Representatives for trade adjustment assistance,” White House press secretary Josh Earnest said. “The reason it didn’t pass at the end of last week is because there are some procedural differences that have to be ironed out.”
White House officials have been reaching out to lawmakers since Friday’s ill-fated vote, but there doesn’t appear to be an all-out blitz from Obama’s team. Earnest said that White House chief of staff Denis McDonough had spoken with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and McCarthy by phone. He also said that Obama had tried to call Boehner but that as of midday Monday, he hadn’t heard back.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2015/06/ke...l#ixzz3dC4dbsvO