U.S. Senate votes to begin debate on fast-track trade legislation

The U.S. Senate voted Thursday to begin debate on the so-called fast-track trade legislation that is key to conclude the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations after Democrats blocked a vote to proceed to the bill two days ago.

With a vote of 65 to 33, the Senate agreed to proceed to a package of legislations that would grant U.S. President Barack Obama the fast-track authority to negotiate ongoing trade deals.

"I want to thank all the senators who voted to provide that authority -- or at least to begin the debate on moving that process forward," Obama said at a press conference after the vote.

The fast-track legislation, formally known as Trade Promotion Authority (TPA), empowers the president to negotiate trade deals and then present them to Congress for up-or-down votes, with no amendments allowed.

If the legislation is passed by the full Congress, it will give U.S. trading partners the confidence they need to put their best offers on the table and help the Obama administration conclude the ongoing TPP free trade talks, which are nearing completion after more than five years of negotiations.

"Today's vote moves us closer to achieving a positive outcome for the people we represent," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said. "I look forward to continued positive engagement from both the president and members of both parties as we move forward on these bills."

The Senate is expected to vote on amendments to the fast-track legislation next week and finally approve the measure as soon as late May, according to local media.

But it's unclear whether the House currently has enough votes to pass the legislation because some conservatives have opposed giving Obama any authority and only a dozen Democrats have publicly expressed support.

Liberal Democrats and activists from labor unions have launched campaigns in recent weeks to block the fast-track legislation, arguing that trade deals have hurt U.S. workers and increased income inequality.

The Senate on Thursday also passed a customs and enforcement bill that includes provisions addressing currency manipulation, but it has no chance of becoming law.

"The administration opposes the way the bill uses the countervailing duty process to address currency undervaluation," the Executive Office of the President said in a statement, signaling the president could veto the bill if it reaches his desk.

"Those provisions would undermine our international efforts to address this issue, raise highly problematic questions about consistency with our international obligations, lead to other countries pursuing retaliatory measures that could hurt our exporters, and be difficult to administer," it said. Endit