WASHINGTON -- The U.S. House of Representatives narrowly passed a bill Friday to allow President Barack Obama to negotiate a massive Pacific trade deal, but Democrats spurned him on a separate failed vote that puts the trade package's future in doubt.
Most of Georgia's Republicans voted to grant Obama "fast track" authority to negotiate the historic 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership, an authority seen as crucial to put the finishing touches on the long-sought deal. It is a crucial element of Obama's legacy-building finale of his presidency, but also falls into the GOP's free-trade wheelhouse.
Of 10 Georgia U.S. House Republicans, only Doug Collins, of Gainesville, and Lynn Westmoreland, of Coweta County, voted no.
Rep. Barry Loudermilk, R-Cassville, said what brought him to yes was "I read the bill." He added that an amendment by Steve King, R-Iowa, declaring that a pending trade deal cannot include changes to immigration or environmental policy helped put him at ease.
Said Loudermilk:
"We get a seat at the table while the negotiations are going on, so if the president goes outside the guidelines put in TPA, we know it then, not later."
Rep. Jody Hice, R-Monroe, took the unusual path of voting against the procedural "rule" for the trade bill, then voting for the bill itself. He said in a press release that he wanted to add additional restrictions on Obama's negotiations:
"Now, we are faced with voting for a TPA bill that will put 150 constraints on President Obama, as well as future occupants of the White House, or voting down the TPA bill which would result in President Obama having zero constraints as he negotiates trade deals on behalf of our nation. Because I do not trust this President, I am choosing 150 constraints over zero. The bottom line is that he cannot have free reign to negotiate on behalf of our country."
Westmoreland said he felt Obama would just trample on those restrictions.
He waited until the bill passed and his vote was no longer needed to cast his "no." Spokeswoman Leigh Claffey said House leaders asked Westmoreland to wait to put up his vote, and Westmoreland had confirmed he was a "no" as votes began. As for his reasoning, here's Westmoreland, via Claffey:
"Having taken the opportunity to read the available sections of TPP, I don't believe it would circumvent any existing laws in regards to global warming or immigration. But the President's past actions show no evidence of obeying congressional intent or that he would follow any of the guidelines set forth in TPA."
What did not pass Friday, crucially, was Democrat-friendly Trade Adjustment Assistance for workers displaced by overseas trade. No Georgians voted for it, despite a visit to the Capitol by Obama himself to rally House Democrats.
House leadership, in a convoluted plan, were going to merge TAA with TPA to align with a version that already passed the Senate. But Republicans, who generally consider TAA to be a form of welfare, were not on board, and Democrats -- including Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi -- bucked Obama in an effort to kill the whole trade deal.
Rep. John Lewis, D-Atlanta, gave a thunderous floor speech against the trade agreement:
"Labor, human rights and trade have always been connected. This is not new. This planet is not ours to waste. This little planet is not ours to waste, but to use what we need, and leave this planet a little greener, and a little more peaceful for generations unborn.
"This Congress must be a headlight and not a taillight, or history will not be kind to us. I urge each and every member to do what is right and stand up for the working people for our country. I urge my colleagues to vote no. "
House leaders are preparing another vote on TAA early next week. They and the White House will try to convince Democrats to change their minds so they can send the bill to Obama's desk. Otherwise, they would need to stage a tricky re-vote on TPA, and then send it back to the Senate, where TAA was a valuable carrot for Democrats in a narrow vote last month.
Said House Rules Committee chairman Pete Sessions:
"There's two parts of the puzzle here. One part, which Republicans were after, are all the jobs and the Trade Promotion Authority. And the other part, to make sure those workers are protected. And in that case, the Democrat Party did not stand up for their workers. So I think there's going to be a lot of soul-searching this weekend."
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