WASHINGTON—Divisive trade legislation survived a key
vote in the Senate on Thursday, bringing the measure one step
closer to what's expected to be a more difficult path in the House
next month.
The so-called fast track bill, which President Barack Obama
wants in order to finish up and enact a sweeping Pacific trade
agreement, cleared a Senate procedural vote 62-38, a narrower
margin than last week, when a procedural move to advance the bill
won 65 votes.
Republicans widely support fast track, which could pave the way
this year for a congressional vote—without amendments or
procedural delays—on the Trans-Pacific Partnership
agreement with Japan and 10 other nations.
Thursday's vote is the latest barometer of fast track's
popularity, which faces wavering support among a handful of key
Democrats, and the first key test since Sen. Maria Cantwell (D.,
Wash.) sought to tie the measure's advancement to the
reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank.
This week Ms. Cantwell, who backed the bill in committee, said
she wouldn't vote to move it further through the Senate unless
Republican leaders advance legislation to renew the bank, which
provides financing and credit guarantees to exporters, led by
Boeing Co., which has a manufacturing base in Washington state.
On Thursday morning Ms. Cantwell, along with Democratic Sens.
Patty Murray, of Washington, and Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota met
with Senate GOP leaders. Ms. Cantwell said they were "trying" to
strike a deal over the Export-Import Bank, but hadn't gotten any
assurances both chambers would vote on reauthorizing the agency
before it expires at the end of June.
"We just want a vote in both the House and the Senate before the
bank expires," Ms. Cantwell said as she left Senate Majority Leader
Mitch McConnell's office.
Democrats said Thursday that Mr. McConnell had agreed to hold a
vote in June over the Export-Import Bank.
Supporters of the fast track bill will still need to steer the
measure past other procedural hurdles as well.
Last week Sen. Ron Wyden (D., Ore.), one of the architects of
fast track and related legislation, led a group of protrade
Democrats who temporarily withdrew their support of the bill, also
known as trade promotion authority, until Republican leaders agreed
to move a bill with measures to boost trade enforcement and
expedite customs.
The Obama administration and Mr. McConnell (R., Ky.) have sought
to expedite debate and passage of fast track so that the House can
consider the bill and so that the Pacific deal has a chance of
getting completed and passed before the peak of the presidential
election season, which can be fatal to trade deals. Mr. McConnell
is also seeking to move other legislation this week, and debate
could extend into the weekend.
But Democrats opposed to the legislation, led by Sen. Sherrod
Brown of Ohio are warning that Mr. McConnell isn't allowing enough
amendments and debate on the legislation. "We're fast tracking this
whole idea of a fast track process," Mr. Brown said Thursday. "Why
is this good for our communities?"
In the Senate, the bill still faces additional procedural
hurdles, long stretches of time to debate the bill and potentially
a handful of amendment votes before a final vote on the trade bill
could occur. Though senators often agree to speed up the process,
it's not clear whether trade opponents will agree to do so.
Write to William Mauldin at william.mauldin@wsj.com and Kristina
Peterson at kristina.peterson@wsj.com
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