In a 60 – 38 vote, the U.S. Senate has sent Trade Promotion Authority to the President’s desk as a standalone bill not packaged with Trade Adjustment Assistance.
Trade Adjustment Assistance also passed the Senate packaged with an African Trade Preference bill.
The Senate passed TPA Wednesday afternoon after a procedural vote on Tuesday that passed, preventing the chance for a filibuster.
TPA will allow the White House to send trade deals to Congress for up-or-down votes.
The Senate will not be able to filibuster them, and lawmakers will not have the power to amend them.
The Hill reports the expedited process, which lasts until 2018 and can be extended until 2021, and it greatly increases Obama’s chances of concluding negotiations on the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
