The prospects for the reauthorization of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) either improved or became more complicated on Tuesday, depending on whether you are a Republican or Democratic member of Congress. The key event was the vote by the Senate for "cloture," or to end the debate on Trade Promotion Authority (TPA), which allows senators to give an up-or-down vote on trade legislation.
The cloture vote passed by the slimmest margin after 13 out of 14 pro-trade Democrats joined 47 Republicans to vote in support of the measure, putting aside concerns that a related program to assist workers displaced by global trade, known as Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA), might not pass the Senate and the House later this week.
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