(CNN) There's no path for Congress to send President Barack Obama a historic free trade package right now, potentially marking the death of a measure he envisioned as a pillar of his second-term legacy.

The House voted Tuesday to extend until the end of July a deadline for resolution on a trade package after the measure failed dramatically last week amid a Democratic rebellion.

The delay hardly resolves the issue as top lawmakers readily admit they don't know what they'll do to change the outcome. Presidential politics, meanwhile, are inflaming the situation as Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton sides with her party on Capitol Hill in critiquing the measure.

"There are a number of options that are being looked at — none that have been decided," House Republican Whip Steve Scalise of Louisiana told CNN.

There are two bills at issue in the congressional standoff. One, called trade promotion authority, would clear the way for Obama's 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership by guaranteeing it an up-or-down vote without amendments. It's backed by Republicans but opposed by Democrats who largely loathe the prospect of another big trade agreement.

The other is Trade Adjustment Assistance, which aids workers displaced by globalization. This measure is backed by Democrats but opposed by Republicans who see it as an unnecessary welfare program.

The challenge confounding both the White House and GOP congressional leaders is how to advance two separate trade measures at the same time.

The Senate found enough votes to pass both measures by linking them together. But the House couldn't follow suit, so House Speaker Boehner, R-Ohio, split them in two, hoping Republicans would provide most of the votes for trade promotion authority and Democrats would support Trade Adjustment Assistance.

Pelosi

House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi of California upended that plan by leading a rebellion on Friday, voting against the assistance bill -- and giving cover to other Democrats who joined her -- in order to bring down the entire package.

Any hope that it could be revived quickly seemed to dim on Monday as the finger pointing on Capitol Hill grew.

Boehner's team felt they gave the White House a second chance by quickly moving for a re-vote on Tuesday. But Republican aides privately complained that the President and his top Cabinet members did little to no outreach over the weekend.

Obama and Boehner connected by phone several times on Monday to talk trade, but aides wouldn't offer details of their conversation.

Obama also spoke to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on the issue.

"It's still my hope that we can achieve what we set out to achieve together, which is to get a six-year Trade Promotion Authority bill in place," McConnell said on the Senate floor on Tuesday.

"We think it's absolutely essential not only for our commercial advantage, but also it has an important defense and foreign policy component to it‎, as the countries on the Asia and Pacific rim would like to have a greater relationship with us as a hedge against an increasingly expansive China‎," McConnell said.

White House press secretary Josh Earnest said Monday "there have been a number of conversations over the weekend and already today about the legislative path forward."

"The President and the rest of us here at the White House continue to be confident that there is strong bipartisan support for this approach, and we just have to figure out how to untangle the legislative snafu in the House," he said.

About 25 pro-trade Democrats met with White House officials on Tuesday, but admitted afterward that there is still no strategy to resurrect fast-track legislation.

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"This is a work in progress," Virginia Rep. Gerry Connolly told reporters.

The session was mostly focused on communications efforts, Democrats said, not a detailed back and forth about charting a new legislative path for the trade package that failed to pass the House on Friday.

Administration officials have been making calls to opponents of the fast track. But Connolly said once members voted against the President on trade adjustment assistance, it's hard to see how any significant number could change their position now.

"Almost no one has any leverage -- it's been expended. Boehner doesn't have any leverage. Pelosi no longer has leverage. The White House doesn't have leverage -- it's actually a remarkable thing," Connolly said.

Rep. Ron Kind, D-Wisconsin, who also attended the meeting, told reporters that while attention has been focused on Democrats, any path forward has to involve GOP help.

"The last time I checked 48 Senate Republicans voted for TAA -- when it came out with TPA," Kind said, referring to the bipartisan Senate trade vote.

Multiple House Republicans told CNN there are all kinds of options being kicked around about alternative strategies, but none of them are easy or guaranteed to get a bill to the President's desk.

Asked Monday whether the trade bill Democrats had rejected last week could pass on Tuesday, the No. 2 House Democrat, Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland, said "no."

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-California, said he was "very confused and disappointed" by Pelosi's decision.

Kevin Smith, a spokesman for Boehner, said the delay "will give the President more time to communicate the consequences of not moving forward with his party."

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One GOP leadership aide, speaking on the condition of anonymity because the situation remains in flux, said that the "easiest route forward is if the President can bring his party together and actually encourage them to vote for a program they once supported."

But if Democrats continue to block the Trade Adjustment Assistance portion of the bill package, the aide said, GOP leaders could move ahead with a vote on only trade promotion authority — no longer linked to the Democrat-backed program — and then try to work something out with the Senate.

Clinton

Adding to the complicated dynamics is the fact that Clinton isn't offering Obama any support on the campaign trail. She name-checked Pelosi twice on Sunday, praising the Democratic leader and saying Obama should listen to her concerns with the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

Clinton hasn't waded into the fight over trade promotion authority, calling it on Monday a "process issue," but she did suggest that the White House needed to extract better commitments from the other 11 countries involved in the negotiations, including Japan, Australia, Canada and Mexico, before asking for the authority.

"I believe that you take whatever happens to you in a negotiation and you try to leverage it," Clinton said.

Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Hillary Clinton accepts the Democratic Party's nomination for president at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia on July 28, 2016. The former first lady, U.S. senator and secretary of state was the first woman to lead the presidential ticket of a major political party. Hide Caption 1 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Before marrying Bill Clinton, she was Hillary Rodham. Here she attends Wellesley College in Massachusetts. Her commencement speech at Wellesley's graduation ceremony in 1969 attracted national attention. After graduating, she attended Yale Law School. Hide Caption 2 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Rodham was a lawyer on the House Judiciary Committee, whose work led to impeachment charges against President Richard Nixon in 1974. Hide Caption 3 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight In 1975, Rodham married Bill Clinton, whom she met at Yale Law School. He became the governor of Arkansas in 1978. In 1980, the couple had a daughter, Chelsea. Hide Caption 4 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Arkansas' first lady, now using the name Hillary Rodham Clinton, wears her inaugural ball gown in 1985. Hide Caption 5 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight The Clintons celebrate Bill's inauguration in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1991. He was governor from 1983 to 1992, when he was elected President. Hide Caption 6 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Bill Clinton comforts his wife on the set of "60 Minutes" after a stage light broke loose from the ceiling and knocked her down in January 1992. Hide Caption 7 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight In June 1992, Clinton uses a sewing machine designed to eliminate back and wrist strain. She had just given a speech at a convention of the International Ladies' Garment Workers Union. Hide Caption 8 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight During the 1992 presidential campaign, Clinton jokes with her husband's running mate, Al Gore, and Gore's wife, Tipper, aboard a campaign bus. Hide Caption 9 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton accompanies her husband as he takes the oath of office in January 1993. Hide Caption 10 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight The Clintons share a laugh on Capitol Hill in 1993. Hide Caption 11 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton unveils the renovated Blue Room of the White House in 1995. Hide Caption 12 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton waves to the media in January 1996 as she arrives for an appearance before a grand jury in Washington. The first lady was subpoenaed to testify as a witness in the investigation of the Whitewater land deal in Arkansas. The Clintons' business investment was investigated, but ultimately they were cleared of any wrongdoing. Hide Caption 13 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight The Clintons hug as Bill is sworn in for a second term as President. Hide Caption 14 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight The first lady holds up a Grammy Award, which she won for her audiobook "It Takes a Village" in 1997. Hide Caption 15 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight The Clintons dance on a beach in the U.S. Virgin Islands in January 1998. Later that month, Bill Clinton was accused of having a sexual relationship with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky. Hide Caption 16 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton looks on as her husband discusses the Monica Lewinsky scandal in the Roosevelt Room of the White House on January 26, 1998. Clinton declared, "I did not have sexual relations with that woman." In August of that year, Clinton testified before a grand jury and admitted to having "inappropriate intimate contact" with Lewinsky, but he said it did not constitute sexual relations because they had not had intercourse. He was impeached in December on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice. Hide Caption 17 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight The first family walks with their dog, Buddy, as they leave the White House for a vacation in August 1998. Hide Caption 18 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight President Clinton makes a statement at the White House in December 1998, thanking members of Congress who voted against his impeachment. The Senate trial ended with an acquittal in February 1999. Hide Caption 19 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton announces in February 2000 that she will seek the U.S. Senate seat in New York. She was elected later that year. Hide Caption 20 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton makes her first appearance on the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee. Hide Caption 21 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Sen. Clinton comforts Maren Sarkarat, a woman who lost her husband in the September 11 terrorist attacks, during a ground-zero memorial in October 2001. Hide Caption 22 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton holds up her book "Living History" before a signing in Auburn Hills, Michigan, in 2003. Hide Caption 23 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton and another presidential hopeful, U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, applaud at the start of a Democratic debate in 2007. Hide Caption 24 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Obama and Clinton talk on the plane on their way to a rally in Unity, New Hampshire, in June 2008. She had recently ended her presidential campaign and endorsed Obama. Hide Caption 25 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Obama is flanked by Clinton and Vice President-elect Joe Biden at a news conference in Chicago in December 2008. He had designated Clinton to be his secretary of state. Hide Caption 26 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton, as secretary of state, greets Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin during a meeting just outside Moscow in March 2010. Hide Caption 27 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight The Clintons pose on the day of Chelsea's wedding to Marc Mezvinsky in July 2010. Hide Caption 28 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight In this photo provided by the White House, Obama, Clinton, Biden and other members of the national security team receive an update on the mission against Osama bin Laden in May 2011. Hide Caption 29 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton checks her Blackberry inside a military plane after leaving Malta in October 2011. In 2015, The New York Times reported that Clinton exclusively used a personal email account during her time as secretary of state. The account, fed through its own server, raises security and preservation concerns. Clinton later said she used a private domain out of "convenience," but admits in retrospect "it would have been better" to use multiple emails. Hide Caption 30 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton arrives for a group photo before a forum with the Gulf Cooperation Council in March 2012. The forum was held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Hide Caption 31 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Obama and Clinton bow during the transfer-of-remains ceremony marking the return of four Americans, including U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens, who were killed in Benghazi, Libya, in September 2012. Hide Caption 32 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton ducks after a woman threw a shoe at her while she was delivering remarks at a recycling trade conference in Las Vegas in 2014. Hide Caption 33 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton, now running for President again, performs with Jimmy Fallon during a "Tonight Show" skit in September 2015. Hide Caption 34 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton testifies about the Benghazi attack during a House committee meeting in October 2015. "I would imagine I have thought more about what happened than all of you put together," she said during the 11-hour hearing. "I have lost more sleep than all of you put together. I have been wracking my brain about what more could have been done or should have been done." Months earlier, Clinton had acknowledged a "systemic breakdown" as cited by an Accountability Review Board, and she said that her department was taking additional steps to increase security at U.S. diplomatic facilities. Hide Caption 35 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders shares a lighthearted moment with Clinton during a Democratic presidential debate in October 2015. It came after Sanders gave his take on the Clinton email scandal. "The American people are sick and tired of hearing about the damn emails," Sanders said. "Enough of the emails. Let's talk about the real issues facing the United States of America." Hide Caption 36 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton is reflected in a teleprompter during a campaign rally in Alexandria, Virginia, in October 2015. Hide Caption 37 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton walks on her stage with her family after winning the New York primary in April. Hide Caption 38 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight After Clinton became the Democratic Party's presumptive nominee, this photo was posted to her official Twitter account. "To every little girl who dreams big: Yes, you can be anything you want -- even president," Clinton said. "Tonight is for you." Hide Caption 39 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Obama hugs Clinton after he gave a speech at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. The president said Clinton was ready to be commander in chief. "For four years, I had a front-row seat to her intelligence, her judgment and her discipline," he said, referring to her stint as his secretary of state. Hide Caption 40 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton arrives at a 9/11 commemoration ceremony in New York on September 11. Clinton, who was diagnosed with pneumonia two days before, left early after feeling ill. A video appeared to show her stumble as Secret Service agents helped her into a van. Hide Caption 41 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton addresses a campaign rally in Cleveland on November 6, two days before Election Day. She went on to lose Ohio -- and the election -- to her Republican opponent, Donald Trump. Hide Caption 42 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight After conceding the presidency to Trump in a phone call earlier, Clinton addresses supporters and campaign workers in New York on Wednesday, November 9. Her defeat marked a stunning end to a campaign that appeared poised to make her the first woman elected US president. Hide Caption 43 of 43

"In this case, I believe that one of the ways the president could get fast-track authority is to deal with the legitimate concerns of those Democrats who are potential 'yes' voters, to see what within the negotiation — or what's even in the existing framework agreement that is being drafted — could be modified or changed."

Republican aides noticed Clinton's remarks, complaining that her comments made an already-difficult legislative situation tougher.

"Hillary threw the President under the bus this weekend," a separate GOP aide said, arguing that passing trade promotion authority — which trade negotiators say is crucial to getting other countries to make their best offers and take the political risk of signing off on a final agreement — actually "gives you the best leverage to negotiate these trade agreements."

Republicans were remaining optimistic on Tuesday, saying they're still searching for ways to hand Obama trade promotion authority.

Boehner told reporters Tuesday that "we're committed to getting TPA done as soon as possible."

While people on both sides of trade struggled to explain how the legislation could be revived in some form, Oklahoma GOP Rep. Tom Cole predicted. "Nothing ever really dies around here."