Senate advances fast-tracking bill, clears hurdle for Pacific trade deal

In his push for free trade, Obama has found his staunchest allies in Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker John Boehner, while engaging in a public war of words with rising Democrat star Senator Elizabeth Warren.

Warren is pushing a further amendment that could potentially prove a stumbling block to the TPP by disqualifying any agreement from being fast-tracked if it allows companies to sue foreign governments.

Many Democratic lawmakers are skeptical that another free trade agreement would benefit U.S. workers, and have slammed the TPP as being a boon to corporations while not offering enough protections for workers and the environment. Unions and environmental groups have also rallied against the bill.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., a contender in the 2016 Democratic presidential primary, criticized the Senate vote in a Thursday statement, saying it "put the interests of powerful multi-national corporations, drug companies and Wall Street ahead of the needs of American workers."

"Bad trade deals like the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership are a major reason for the collapse of the American middle class and the increase in wealth and income inequality in the United States," said Sanders.

Labor leaders were also quick to denounce Thursday's vote. Richard Trumka, president of the labor federation AFL-CIO, said in a series of tweets that he was "disappointed" to see various Democratic senators vote "to shut off debate and shut out workers."

In a separate statement, AFL-CIO trade policy specialist Celeste Drake said the labor group would be monitoring debate over the TPP, which she characterized as “anti-worker.”

"We’ll be closely watching the next 30 hours of debate, and although the bill now seems poised for eventual Senate passage, we are hopeful that some amendments can be made to reduce the harm it will cause," she said.

“We also look forward to consideration in the House, where this anti-worker legislation will have far less support."

The Communications Workers of America (CWA), another union that opposes the trade deal, said in a statement that it is part of a "broad coalition" which "continues to mobilize against Fast Track and the TPP with millions of Americans demanding to be heard."

Critics have also derided the secrecy surrounding the negotiations — the text of the trade agreement is classified and has only been made available to lawmakers and others with a security clearance.

If the Senate does pass Trade Promotion Authority, the bill would head to the House, where opposition may be even more cumbersome for the president. There, liberal lawmakers may ally with conservative Republicans, who say they are skeptical of giving Obama even more broad executive authority.