Updated: The Senate Finance Committee late Wednesday night (April 22) approved by a vote of 20-6 a bill that would extend Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) to the president for up to six years, with amendments regarding its negotiating objectives addressing boycotts of Israel and human rights.
A third amendment added to the TPA bill, offered by Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ), prohibits expedited congressional consideration of trade agreements with any country that is classified in the most egregious category on a State Department report on human trafficking.
Among the countries placed into this “Tier 3” category on the State Department’s 2014 report is Malaysia, which is participating in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations. The committee approved the amendment in a vote of 16-10, with Wyden initially voting against it but subsequently changing his vote.
