White House officials set to meet with New Dems

Senior White House officials are heading to Capitol Hill on Wednesday to meet with House Democrats about trade and the broader economic agenda, according to Democratic aide with knowledge of the meeting.

National Economic Council Director Jeffrey Zients and other officials are set to sit down and chat with the House New Democrat Coalition about the Obama administration’s continued efforts to complete their ambitious trade agenda. 

{mosads}President Obama has tapped Zients to organize the so-called whole-government approach to securing Democratic support for trade promotion authority as well as the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a pact with 11 other nations.

Cabinet members have been tasked with calling House Democratic lawmakers to discuss their concerns about the trade agreements. 

Democrats opposed to the trade deals have expressed concerns that the pacts currently under negotiation are more of the same bad trade policies that cost U.S. jobs and caused stagnating wages.

Also, a bipartisan group of House and Senate lawmakers unveiled legislation on Tuesday that would tackle the prickly issue of currency manipulation. 

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle say the White House needs to address the issue or face sinking their trade agenda in Congress.