House Narrowly OK's Obama-Sought "Fast Track" Trade Promotion Authority; House Dems Lowenthal, Sanchez and Hahn -- Plus OC Repub Rohrabacher -- Vote "No"

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(June 19, 2015) -- As seen LIVE on LBREPORT.com and reported on our front page: on June 18 the House of Representatives narrowly approved on a 218-208 vote granting the President "fast track Trade Promotion Authority" (TPA) enabling the White House to enter into trade agreements before July 1, 2018 which will only face up or down votes but not amendments.

The Senate previously agreed to this but it will now have to take a second vote, and the outcome is less certain as the issue has become more polarized. In a partisan reversal, House Dems opposed granting President Obama fast track trade promotion authority while House Republic leadership supported it.

Congressmembers Alan Lowenthal, Linda Sanchez and Janice Hahn all voted "no" on the measure (consistent with Dem House leadership) and Cong. Dana Rohrabacher broke with his House Repub leadership on the measure and also voted "no." The full vote tally is at this link [The TPA provisions were embedded in a bill with an unrelated title.]

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Underlying all this is the now-pending TPP (TransPacific Partnership) treaty, a major trade deal with governments including the Peoples Republic of China and Japan, but whose substantive provisions remain secret at this point. Passage of Trade Promotion Authority would give the Obama administration nearly a free-hand it wants on its terms.