Omaha World-Herald - Obama Bent on Getting Fast-Track Trade Pact Authority, Rep. Ashford Says

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By Joseph Morton

Rep. Brad Ashford, D-Neb., walked out of a meeting with President Barack Obama on Thursday optimistic that the administration will be able to get the trade negotiating authority it is seeking from Congress.

"He's all in and he's going to do whatever it takes to get it passed," Ashford said of Obama. "He's absolutely convinced he can get it done."

Ashford and other centrist Democrats met with the president at the White House for a little over an hour to talk about economic policy in general.

One major focus was fast-track authority that would help the president lock down trade deals such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a sweeping agreement with a dozen countries in the Asia-Pacific region.

Obama has some work to do, however. Many Democrats have expressed skepticism about approving new trade deals in light of environmental and labor concerns.

On the other side of the spectrum, at least some lawmakers from the Republican majority also have balked at handing any kind of additional authority to a president they disagree with on just about everything.
But Obama is undeterred, Ashford said.

"He can't understand why labor opposes this," Ashford said. "It's going to increase middle-class jobs."
The Omaha congressman is a big booster of granting the trade authority. Ashford said it would be tragic to lose opportunities to sell American products in Asia. Exports create high-paying jobs and increase the nation's GDP, he said.

In fact, support for trade authority is strong among other members of the Nebraska and Iowa congressional delegations.

Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., was tapped by her party's Senate leadership this week to speak at their press briefing about the importance of new trade agreements to Nebraska and the country as a whole -- and the need to give Obama the authority.

"When we trade internationally, we create jobs. We raise incomes for people all across this country," Fischer said. "That's why this trade agreement is so important."

Sens. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., and Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, have talked about the importance of trade in boosting agricultural exports.

Sasse said fast-track authority on trade deals ties Congress' hands in a good way, keeping lawmakers from attempting to add pet provisions and earmarks.

"On trade, we want the president to be empowered when he goes out and negotiates," Sasse said.

That enthusiasm for granting the president extra authority comes from Republicans who have questioned the administration's trustworthiness on many other fronts, including negotiations with Iran.

But the GOP lawmakers point out that Congress wouldn't be giving Obama unchecked power. Anything he negotiates still must go to Capitol Hill for a straight up-or-down vote.

"If we don't trust it, don't vote for it," Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said of the eventual trade deal.

While some have criticized past trade deals, Grassley said Iowa has ultimately benefited from them.

"We weren't exporting any John Deere tractors until the fast-track authority came along," he said.

As for whether Obama can get it done, Grassley predicted that the president will lose some Republicans and will have to win some votes.

"I think the president's going to have to make some calls," he said. "And the president wants this real bad."

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