The Senate voted ‘yes’ on the cloture vote over the Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) bill Tuesday morning.
The cloture vote ends further debate setting up the final TPA vote in the Senate Wednesday. If it passes, it moves on to the president’s desk to be signed.
The final vote was 60 to 37.
TPA would grant President Obama fast-track trade authority on trade negotiations, allowing him to finalize his three trade agreements – coined Obamatrade – without Congress issuing any amendments, simply getting an up or down vote on the final deal.
Obama is currently finalizing the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP), the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) and the Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA).
TPA originally passed the Senate with its accompanying bill, Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA), which is a welfare program for American workers who are displaced due to trade deals.
The House passed TPA last week without TAA as Democrats and Republicans debated on how to fund TAA.
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