ALABAMA: Alabama congressmen refrain disrupt President Barrack Obama’s trade agenda by voting alongside a bill associated to the so-called fast-track trade legislation 2015. The vote on Trade Adjustment Assistance, which would provide training, job placement and health settlement for American workers who lose their jobs to global trade, failed by a vote of 126-302.
Reps. Bradley Byrne, R-Fairhope, Mo Brooks, R-Huntsville, Martha Roby, R-Montgomery, and Gary Palmer, R-Hoover, voted against the bill. They were among 158 Republicans and 144 Democrats who voted “no.”Three House members from Alabama voted for the bill, including Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Birmingham, who was just one of 40 Democrats who joined 86 Republicans in voting “yes.” The others were Reps. Robert Aderholt, R-Haleyville and Mike Rogers, R-Sacksemocrats are usually receptive to the training programs, but language in the bill passed by the Senate would pay for TAA by cutting $700 million from Medicare. The TAA bill was key to passing the fast-track legislation, which would expedite the process for Congress to approve pending trade deals by only being able to hold up-or-down votes on the agreements and not amending them.
The trade package can’t go to the president’s desk unless both bills are passed. It’s possible the House could come back Monday to vote again on TAA, but about 100 more Democrats would need to change their minds Despite the failure to pass TAA, the House still voted on the fast-track bill, also known Trade Promotion Authority, which passed, 219-211. Sewell was only one of 28 Democrats to vote in favor of TPA. Byrne, Rogers and Roby were also “yes” votes, while Aderholt, Brooks and Palmer voted “no.”.
