Sen. McConnell Says Congress Won't Act on TPP This Year
Congress will not take action on the Trans-Pacific Partnership this year, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said during a speech (here) at the Kentucky Farm Bureau Aug. 25, going a definitive step further than his May statement that approval chances are unlikely in 2016 (see 1605060026). “Trade Promotion Authority is in place for the next president, whoever that may be, and the current agreement, the Trans-Pacific agreement, which has some serious flaws, will not be acted upon this year, but it will still be around,” he said. “It can be massaged, changed, worked on during the next administration. So I hope America will stay in the trade business, and to do that, it’s going to have to be done on a bipartisan basis.” The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative didn’t comment.
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Meanwhile, progressive groups on Aug. 25 doubled down on previous calls (see 1608120020) for presidential candidate Hillary Clinton to publicly reject a vote on the Trans-Pacific Partnership during the upcoming lame-duck session of Congress, writing her a letter including commendations for saying she would oppose the deal after the election, including as president. "As organizations active in the fight to protect American jobs, our environment, our labor rights, and our democracy from corporate control, we urge you to make a clear, public, and unequivocal statement opposing any vote on the disastrous Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) in the post-election, 'lame-duck' session of Congress," the groups, including Democracy for America, the Communications Workers of America and Public Citizen, wrote.