Trade Promotion Authority Bill Introduced

Yesterday, a bipartisan group from the House Committee on Ways & Means and the Senate Finance Committee announced the introduction of H.R. 3830, the Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities Act of 2014 to set negotiating objectives for trade agreement talks. Here is a link to the statement from Ways and Means. I usually do not get all breathless about legislation that has just been introduced. There will be lots of tea leaf reading happening as people discuss whether and how this might get passed. Regardless of the inside-the-beltway analysis, this is an important step. There are two major trade agreements in the works. Neither the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership nor the Transpacific Partnership will go anywhere unless the President has a delegation of authority to negotiate.

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