US Republicans aim to hold a vote on Friday on legislation key to President Barack Obama's signature Pacific trade pact after reaching a deal with Democrats on funding to help workers who lose their jobs due to trade deals. House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner urged both parties to back legislation to streamline the passage of trade deals through Congress in a vote his office confirmed would be this week.
"Trade votes are never an easy lift around here, but Republicans are continuing to work, and we're seeing some positive momentum in the right direction," Boehner said after a closed-door meeting with fellow Republican lawmakers. Leaving the meeting, Representative Adam Kinzinger said the aim was for a vote on Friday, but the vote would be close. Ways and Means Committee Chairman Paul Ryan said he was "comfortable" the measure had enough backing.
Some Republicans want concessions from the White House before pledging support for the bill, allowing lawmakers to set negotiating objectives for trade deals like the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership but preventing changes to the final agreement. Most of Obama's Democrats oppose it. Democrats are still uncomfortable with the details of a deal to find alternative ways to pay for a program helping workers who lose their jobs as a result of trade deals.
A senior Democratic aide said House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi and Boehner had agreed on how to fund the worker support program without cutting into Medicare, which funds healthcare for the elderly and disabled. But the aide said Democrats opposed including alternative funding for part of the 10-year, $2.7 billion Trade Adjustment Assistance program in a separate bill rather than in the fast-track legislation.
Democrats were not happy with the prospect of having to vote for a TAA program with Medicare cuts and the compromise funding split off to a "separate vehicle with no guarantee of enactment," the aide said. A congressional source, who asked not to be identified, said the new funding, worth $700 million, would come from cracking down on some illegal tax activities, instead of through cuts to Medicare.
The savings involve better enforcement of fraudulent claims of tax deductions for higher education and raising the penalties against businesses who fail to accurately file tax returns. A House panel later on Wednesday will consider the procedure to be used to debate the package of four trade bills, which include a bill on customs measures being used as a vehicle for changes to fast-track.
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