Obama official: ‘Fast-track’ bill coming next week

Senators will introduce trade promotion authority legislation next week, a top Obama administration official said Thursday.

Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker expects a “fast-track” bill to be introduced early next week in the Senate and said in a call with reporters that she is “anxiously awaiting to see the language.”

Pritzker is the first administration official to suggest a firm timeline for legislation that would grant President Obama “fast-track” powers for negotiating trade deals.

Speculation has been swirling about when the Senate Finance Committee would start moving on a bill.

Senate aides have said negotiations between Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and ranking member Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) are making progress but that no deal had been struck.

President Obama wants the authority in order to move trade deals like the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) through Congress, but his push is facing strong opposition from liberal lawmakers, particularly in the House.