In a blow to liberal Democrats, the Senate voted 62-37 tonight to pass President Obama’s Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) package — also known as “fast track” authority — a crucial step in passing the much debated Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) free-trade agreement:
Seen on C-SPAN2: U.S. Senate passes "#FastTrack" Trade Promotion #TPA bill, 62-37. http://t.co/JRVjhX6PYm pic.twitter.com/GFtew1u489
— CSPAN (@cspan) May 23, 2015
Here is the full breakdown of the Senate #TPA vote, with the 14 Dem YES votes and five GOP NO votes: pic.twitter.com/vJ0vmKowVM
— Frank Thorp V (@frankthorp) May 23, 2015
#TPA just means Congress sets up an up-or-down vote on whatever deal Obama ends up negotiating. @pcostas01 @kris_kinder
— David Freddoso (@freddoso) May 23, 2015
Obama: Senate #TPA vote "an important step" toward "strong, high-standards trade agreements" pic.twitter.com/rbhnFNUMIq
— Jordan Fabian (@Jordanfabian) May 23, 2015
Liberals, however, are quite angry at President Obama and the Dems who sided with him:
@SenWarren @SenSanders @SenSherrodBrown @Sen_JoeManchin Where was your 'Mr. Smith moment'? |#TPP #FastTrack pic.twitter.com/WdclYUZIVf
— Emil Medellin (@medellinemil) May 23, 2015
.@POTUS, your Obama sticker on 7 years, at times wanted to remove it, at times glad we had it.Tonight we removed it over #FastTrack &#TPP.
— Carolyn C. Barthel (@carolyncbarthel) May 23, 2015
The voters of Oregon could well consign Senator @RonWyden to the dustbin of history – after he switched sides on #fasttrack #trade #TPP.
— Matthew Rimmer (@DrRimmer) May 23, 2015
Disappointed @SenatorShaheen & @SenatorCardin voted to pass a toxic fast track bill that threatens our air, water, climate. #NoFastTrack
— Sierra Club (@SierraClub) May 23, 2015
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And @DianneFeinstein #FastTrack is a travesty.
Its what we get from "representatives" bought & paid for by industry https://t.co/sKh8tWKs37— mark thompson (@MarkTLive) May 23, 2015
And former boxer Sen. Harry Reid pulled no punches in his denunciation of this important piece of the Obama agenda:
I just voted no on the fast-track trade bill. If there was an option to vote hell no, I would have done that.
— Senator Harry Reid (@SenatorReid) May 23, 2015
Probably a Logan Act violation, right? And maybe even racist:
Racist alsohttps://t.co/W8gBaPIt0d
— Stephen Miller (@redsteeze) May 23, 2015
Now it’s up to the House, setting up a fight between the patriotic, pro-Obama Republicans and the anti-Obama Democrats:
House will take up #TPA. For it to pass, Democrats will have to put politics aside & do what's best for the country. http://t.co/wYF2LSXeBG
— John Boehner (@SpeakerBoehner) May 23, 2015
Disappointed by the TPA vote. I hope the House will carefully scrutinize this deal & demand TPP be made public before a Fast Track vote.
— Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) May 23, 2015
Stay tuned.
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