Top Dem: Impending Japanese visit driving trade bill

A top House Democrat said Friday that a U.S. visit by Japan’s prime minister later this month is accelerating work to pass fast-track legislation through Congress.

Rep. Sandy Levin (D-Mich.), ranking member on the House Ways and Means Committee, said Friday that Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s upcoming trip to Washington is building a head of steam for the bill, which was unveiled on Thursday.

The House Ways and Means Committee on Wednesday will hold a hearing on fast-track and the Senate Finance Committee is aiming to mark up the legislation on Thursday.

Levin suggested that his panel could move to vote on the measure on Thursday as well.

Despite the flurry of activity, there is plenty of consternation about trade among Democrats, and some Republicans, raising questions as to whether there is enough support in Congress to pass a bill.

Levin, who strongly opposed the newly introduced trade promotion authority legislation, has spearheaded Democratic efforts to focus on making changes to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) before its completion.

“On all of the major issues in the negotiations, the negotiating objectives are obsolete or woefully inadequate,” he said Thursday.

“We can’t expect to get the best deal if we are not asking for the right things.”

A 12-nation TPP deal — that spans from Latin America to the Pacific Rim — could be completed as early as this spring.

With a fast-track bill on the move, U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman is heading to Tokyo this weekend to address some of the final issues.

“Ambassador Froman’s trip to Japan provides an important and timely opportunity to make progress in our bilateral negotiations with Japan,” a trade representative spokesman told The Hill.

“The productive meetings our teams had this week and the introduction of a TPA bill have added important momentum in the negotiations, but difficult work remains,” he said.

Japanese officials are insisting on having fast-track in place before putting their best offers on the table.

U.S. negotiators are seeking greater market access in Japan’s auto and agriculture sectors.

A bilateral agreement between United States and Japan will get folded into the final TPP pact.

Fast-track makes is easier for the White House to negotiate trade deals by preventing Congress from amending them.

The bipartisan measure announced Thursday was crafted over many months by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), Ways and Means Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), the ranking member on the committee.

“TPP is not where it needs to be right now, and Hatch-Wyden-Ryan does nothing to change that,” Levin said.

Levin was part of a congressional delegation over the spring recess — that included House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) — that traveled to several Asian countries, including Japan, and met with Abe.

Abe will address a joint session of Congress on April 29 speech.

President Obama is planing a formal state dinner in his honor.