Sanctions deal is still not passing amid contentious debate

Matishak, 6/15/15
[Martin, Staff Writer, The Hill, ”OVERNIGHT DEFENSE: Ex-Clinton aide headed before Benghazi panel”,
http://thehill.com/policy/defense/overnights/245040-overnight-defense-ex-clinton-aide-headed-
before-benghazi-panel, accessed 6/15/15 CK]

GOP CHAIRMAN WARNS AGAINST A 'BAD DEAL' ON IRAN: Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) expressed alarm
over ongoing nuclear talks with Iran, warning the United States has made "breathtaking" concessions
that risk creating a "bad deal."

"It is breathtaking to see how far from your original goals and statements the P5+1 have come during
negotiations with Iran," the Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman said in a letter to President
Obama, referring to a group that includes the U.S., the United Kingdom, China, France, and Russia plus
Germany.

Corker said envoys have stopped trying to reach a 20-year agreement, settling for a 10-year one and
seem poised to let Tehran continue to develop its ballistic missile effort and maintain research and
development for advanced nuclear centrifuges.

He asked Obama to "please pause and consider rethinking the entire approach. Walking away from a
bad deal at this point would take courage, but it would be the best thing for the United States, the
region and the world."

Iran and the six world powers hope to strike a deal by June 30 that would curtail Tehran's nuclear effort
in exchange for sanctions relief.

TAA failed and TPA barely clinging to life

Swanson, Public Policy Specialist, 6/15/15
[Stacy A., The National Law Review, “House Passed TPA Last Week, To Vote Again On TAA This Week;
The Senate Resumes Its NDAA Floor Debate; Defense Secretary Carter To Testify Before A House
Committee; Fighting Flares Up Again In Eastern Ukraine”, http://www.natlawreview.com/article/house-
passed-tpa-last-week-to-vote-again-taa-week-senate-resumes-its-ndaa-floor-deba, accessed 6/15/15
CK]

Last Friday, President Barack Obama made a last-minute trip to Capitol Hill in the morning to encourage
support among Democrats for the bill containing Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) and Trade
Adjustment Assistance (TAA), acknowledging to the press that the vote situation remained fluid. That
afternoon, the House conducted three major trade program votes: (1) TAA, which failed; (2) TPA, which
was approved; and (3) a separate customs bill, which passed.

House leaders structured Friday’s vote to allow for separate questions on TPA and TAA, allowing
members to split their vote while still moving the two measures as one package. In a stunning upset, the
House roundly defeated the TAA measure by a vote of 126 to 302. Despite previous instructions from
House Leaders that no further votes would occur, the House proceeded to a vote on TPA, narrowly
passing the measure by a vote of 219 to 211.

Next steps remain unclear. Since the TPA and TAA measures were contained in the same piece of
legislation in the Senate, the bill cannot yet be sent to the President for his signature. However, House
Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) filed a motion to reconsider the TAA vote, which means the House could
conduct a second round of votes on that specific question as early as next week. A Democratic staffer
has also raised the possibility that House Republicans could pass a new rule that would allow TPA to
return to the Senate on its own, without TAA. President Obama released a statement Friday afternoon,
welcoming passage of TPA and urging the House “to pass TAA as soon as possible, so I can sign them
both.”

In a floor speech prior to the TAA vote, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-California) said she would
not vote for TAA. Her rationale, which failed, was a no vote would block the vote on TPA.

Following the TAA and TPA votes, the House turned to the customs measure, passing it by a vote of 240
to 190. The House customs measure contains differences from the Senate-passed measure, and the two
chambers are expected to begin conference negotiations to reconcile the two drafts.