![\"US](\"https:\/\/stateofthenation2012.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/senate-votes-on-tpp.si_.jpg\")
<\/a>US President Barack Obama delivers remarks on trade at Nike\u2019s corporate headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon May 8, 2015 (Reuters \/ Jonathan Ernst)<\/p><\/div>\n
Lawmakers in the United States Senate have thrown a wrench in a plan that would have given President Barack Obama \u201cfast track\u201d authority to advance a 12-nation trade deal between the US and Pacific Ring partners.<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n In a 52-45 vote Tuesday afternoon, the Senate opposed moving forward for now on the Trans-Pacific Partnership. A procedural vote required at least 60 \u201cayes\u201d in order to let the Senate host discussions on whether or not to give the president so-called \u201cfast track\u201d authority on the matter, and failure to reach that threshold puts the future of the trade agreement in jeopardy.<\/span><\/p>\n Had the vote gone the other way, lawmakers would have hosted a debate to weigh giving Pres. Obama the power to approve the potential deal on his own before then asking Congress to either ratify or reject any agreement. Ahead of Tuesday\u2019s vote, however, Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, told Reuters that the possibility of expediting the process as the White House had requested \u201cmay be dead\u201d due to the lack of support evidenced soon after when the procedural vote failed.<\/span><\/p>\n Pres. Obama has been touting the TPP as a catalyst for the domestic jobs market and an enabler of workers\u2019 rights abroad, and last week he pitched the deal at the main office of footwear giant Nike.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIf I didn\u2019t think that this was the right thing to do for working families then I wouldn\u2019t be fighting for it,\u201d Obama told the crowd at Friday\u2019s event.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Obama Busted BIG Time Senate votes against fast-tracking\u00a0TPP RT.com Lawmakers in the United States Senate have thrown a wrench in a plan that would have given President Barack Obama \u201cfast track\u201d authority to advance a 12-nation trade deal between the … Continue reading