Washington, DC – Today the U.S. Senate held a procedural vote on Trade Promotion Authority legislation, which would have limited the Senate’s ability to block or amend future free trade agreements. The bill failed by a vote of 52-45. U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) voted against the bill and released the following statement:
“It would have been a mistake to provide fast-track authority for trade agreements that could further undermine American wages, manufacturing jobs, and our environment. Past trade deals have hurt Rhode Island workers, and we should review future deals carefully to make sure we’re not repeating the kind of mistakes that have resulted in local jobs moving overseas. I’m glad we were able to defeat this fast-track measure today.”
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