GSP Bill Passes Senate with TAA Amendment

September 23, 2011

Last night the Senate passed a bill to renew the Generalized System of Preferences by a vote of 70-27. The bill included a scaled-back version of Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) based on a compromise between Senator Max Baucus (D-MT) and Representative Dave Camp (R-MI). The bill now awaits final approval from the House.

Final Passage of the amended GSP/TAA bill in the House may face delays involving disputes over the sequencing of the GSP/TAA bill and the pending free trade agreements (FTAs) with South Korea, Colombia, and Panama. U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk has stated that the House must pass the GSP/TAA bill before the President will submit the FTAs to Congress. House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) and House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp, however, continue to push for the White House to submit the FTAs to Congress before the House votes on the GSP/TAA bill.

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