Senate Democrats press for stand-alone bill for TAA
The Hill – Two Senate Democrats introduced stand-alone legislation on Tuesday that would extend for five years a program that provides retraining for workers who’ve lost their jobs because of trade.
Sens. Bob Casey (Pa.) and Sherrod Brown (Ohio), vocal critics of the three trade deals with Korea, Colombia and Panama, argue that any extension of expired 2009 Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) program shouldn’t be included in the Korean deal as announced by the White House and congressional negotiators.
The Obama administration and Senate leaders, including Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) announced an agreement on Tuesday that should allow for Congress to vote on the three trade deals in the near future and included a combined deal to add a two-year extension of most 2009 TAA provisions to the Korean pact.
