Senate Dems block key plank of Obama trade agenda

Article publisher: 
FOX News
Article date: 
Tuesday, May 12, 2015
Article category: 
National Issues
Medium
Article Body: 

President Obama suffered a defeat at the hands of his own party on Tuesday, as Senate Democrats blocked a key component of the president's trade agenda. 

After fierce lobbying on both sides of the debate, the proposal failed on a 52-45 vote. It needed 60 votes to advance. 

The president's supporters will likely try again...

At issue is Obama's push for so-called "fast track" authority -- which would let him negotiate trade deals that Congress can reject or ratify, but not amend....

But Democrats aligned with labor unions warned about the impact on U.S. jobs, and many influential Democrats have openly opposed the White House. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., recently told reporters he's a "hell no" on the proposal. And Obama and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., for days have traded jabs on the matter, with the president calling Warren's claims "absolutely wrong."