Obama presses Dems to back trade deal

President Obama on Friday pressed liberals in Congress to back his trade agenda, warning that a defeat of the trade agreements he is negotiating would be a “ratification of the status quo.”

Obama conceded the politics of trade have “always been tough” for Democrats, but said new trade pacts with Asian and European nations would “absolutely” be good for businesses and workers alike.

“Being opposed to this new trade agreement is essentially a ratification of the status quo,” Obama said during a joint press conference with Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi. 

{mosads}The president dismissed accusations from labor unions that the trade agreements are a giveaway to corporate America.

‘“If I didn’t think this deal was a good one, I wouldn’t do it,” he said. 

Lawmakers on Thursday unveiled a bipartisan deal that would grant Obama fast-track authority to push new trade deals through Congress with up-or-down votes.

The legislation, known as Trade Promotion Authority (TPA), was negotiated by Finance Committee Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), along with House Ways and Means Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.).

While the legislation appears to be moving forward in the Senate, passage is far from assured.

Liberal Democrats are revolting over the trade push, arguing the pending trade deals would hurt American workers and weaken key regulatory protections.

The administration has worked for months to try and temper the Democratic opposition, particularly in the House, where Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) is demanding that Obama help him secure dozens of Democratic votes.

“In the House, Republicans stand ready to work with President Obama to advance TPA but he must secure the support from his own party that’s needed to ensure strong, bipartisan passage,” Boehner said in a statement Thursday.

The president defended the trade powers bill, saying it contains “enforceable” provisions for labor rights, environmental concerns, and human rights. 

“This is the most progressive and far-reaching trade promotion authority that we’ve seen go through Congress,” Obama said.

The president said it is “entirely understandable” that there would be skepticism over new trade agreements from working families who saw manufacturing jobs disappear during the recession. 

But “we’ve learned lessons from that,” Obama said. 

He said deals like the Trans-Pacific Partnership with Asia and the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership with Europe could give the U.S. an edge over China when it comes to exports. He said he wants U.S. cars to be available in markets like Japan, where they are rare.

“The current situation is not working for us,” Obama said. “We cannot stop a global economy at our shores. We’ve got to be in there and compete.”