On April 16 Senate Finance Committee Chairman ORRIN HATCH (R-Utah), Ranking Member RON WYDEN (D-Ore.) and House Ways and Means Chairman PAUL RYAN (R-Wis.), leaders of the committees of the U.S. Congress responsible for international trade issues, introduced a 113-page bill titled the “Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities and Accountability Act of 2015.” The bill sets forth negotiating objectives for trade-related IP, among other objectives. The purpose of the bill is to give the government Trade Promotion Authority (TPA), sometimes called fast-track trade authority. The last TPA legislation expired in 2007. The legislation is important now because the U.S. is negotiating the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement and the newer Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership.
A press release, with a link to a summary, is available here. IPO will be studying the bill. Fast-track authority is widely supported in the business community but has powerful opponents.
On April 22 the Senate Finance Committee by a 20-6 vote approved the trade promotion authority (TPA) bill with the support of seven Democrats. Senate Finance Democrats who voted in favor were WYDEN (Ore.), CANTWELL (Wash.), CARDIN (Md.), NELSON (Fla.), CARPER (Del.), WARNER (Va.) and BENNET (Colo.). BURR (N.C.) was the only Republican voting against it.
On April 23 the House Ways & Means Committee approved fast-track trade bill H.R. 1890 by a vote of 25 to 13. The vote was along party lines except that Democrats BLUMENAUER (Oregon) and KIND (Wisconsin) voted with Republicans.
