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McConnell, Reid Trade Shots Over Trade Bill

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Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Minority Leader Harry Reid pointed the finger at each other after the Senate filibustered a “fast-track” trade bill Tuesday, as Democrats insisted on bundling several issues into the measure, including a currency-related bill, but were halted by McConnell, who only agreed to votes on amendments. “I explicitly did not offer the currency amendment to the [Trade-Promotion Authority] bill … so currency in the committee, they agreed they would deal with it on the customs bill, and not on TPA,” McConnell said. “And now our friends on the other side are trying to bunch it all together. But look, we need to be clear here, the currency issue on TPA is a killer — the president would veto the bill — it would defeat the bill.” Reid pushed back, saying it did not make sense to not include all four trade measures in the package that passed out of the Finance Committee.

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