President Barack Obama is scrambling to persuade almost 100 fellow Democrats to support a landmark trade bill, a centerpiece of his second-term agenda, that most of them sought to block.
In his weekly radio address, Obama called on Democrats in the House of Representatives to reconsider their votes, which on Friday stalled a sweeping agreement with Pacific Rim nations and came despite earlier appeals from the president.
“I urge those members of Congress who voted against Trade Adjustment Assistance to reconsider, and stand up for American workers,” Obama said on Saturday.
“Simply put, America has to write the rules of the 21st- century economy in a way that benefits American workers. If we don’t, countries like China will write those rules in a way that benefits their workers,” Obama said.
Supporters of Obama’s fast-track trade proposal will try to rescue it in a new House vote as soon as Tuesday, after Democrats scuttled final action on the plan on Friday.
White House press secretary Josh Earnest called the embarrassing defeat a “procedural snafu” and said he was optimistic that Democrats ultimately would help send the fast-track trade negotiating measure to Obama.
Meanwhile, the House’s majority Republicans said it will be up to Obama to turn around Democratic skeptics.
