People gather at Peace Arch Park in 2012 to oppose the U.S.-led Trans Pacific Partnership agreement (TPP). (Photo: Caelie_Frampton/flickr/cc)
Note: Senator Hatch had hoped to introduce Fast Track last week, then this week while the Obama administration said they hoped it would be passed in March. Protests have been mounting. Popular Resistance is holding a “Toast-In” to emphasize his career is toast if he co-sponsors Fast Track because 73% of Oregonians oppose Fast Track. On Wednesday the AFL-CIO is holding a lobby day opposing Fast Track. Delaying the Fast Track until march puts the Congress on a very quick schedule as election season will be getting close making corporate trade agreements more difficult to pass. Keep up the pressure!
– PopRes
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(Reuters) – The chairman of the U.S. Senate committee responsible for trade said on Tuesday it is unlikely that a fast-track trade bill will come before lawmakers for consideration before April.
“It does not look like it will come up before April at this point because of all the work that has to be done on budget and such in March,” Republican Orrin Hatch said, in reply to a question about when the bill would fit in the legislative calendar.
The panel’s top Democrat, Ron Wyden, said negotiators are continuing to find common ground.