McCarthy plans vote on trade ‘this month’

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said Monday he plans to get to a vote by the end of June on giving President Obama broad authority to negotiate trade deals.

“It’s my intent to get that done this month,” said McCarthy, who controls the floor schedule.

{mosads}McCarthy wouldn’t say whether the bill, known as Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) and handing Obama fast-track trade powers, would be combined with a major trade deal Obama is negotiating with 11 Pacific Rim nations.

“Nothing’s been decided,” he said.

McCarthy, the No. 2 House Republican, said he never planned to bring TPA to the floor immediately following the weeklong Memorial Day recess. 

“I never intended to bring TPA up this week,” he explained when asked by The Hill about possible timing. “Bringing a bill up like that after people are back in their districts … it’s not the best time.”

The Senate passed the TPA bill last month, but the legislation faces opposition from most Democrats as well as dozens of Republicans who don’t trust Obama to negotiate trade deals.