“I think members realize it’s coming closer [to the time] to ultimately to make a decision, and that’s what they’re trying to do,” said Wisconsin Rep. Ron Kind, chairman of the New Democrat Coalition. New Dems expect growing support for fast-track

A small group of House Democrats who back President Barack Obama’s effort to win “fast-track” trade legislation said Thursday they expect more party members to step forward in favor of the bill, but indicated Republicans would still have to provide the bulk of the votes to win its approval.

“I think members realize it’s coming closer [to the time] to ultimately to make a decision, and that’s what they’re trying to do,” Wisconsin Rep. Ron Kind, chairman of the New Democrat Coalition, told reporters after more than a 90-minute meeting with Obama. “I think to the credit of the majority of the New Dems in the coalition, they’ve kept their powder dry to give the administration and the president the chance to make the case.”


Obama invited all 46 members of the moderate, business-friendly group to the White House to urge their support for the bill, which many Democrats have already made up their mind to oppose. About 27 piled into a bus for the trip, including some who have already endorsed the bill and many others who are undecided.

Just 13 House Democrats — most of them from the New Democrat Coalition — are on record in support of the legislation, which would allow Obama to submit trade deals like the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership pact to Congress for straight up-or-down votes without any amendments.

The dearth of Democratic support is putting pressure on Republicans to provide the bulk of the votes needed to hand Obama a major legislative victory. Obama’s invitation comes after repeated GOP criticisms of the president’s efforts to push his trade agenda.

“The president needs to step up his game in terms of garnering more support amongst Democrats, especially here in the House,” House Speaker John Boehner told reporters amid concerns of a possibly large bloc of Republicans voting against giving Obama the authority.

But given the number of Democrats who have decided to oppose the bill because of their concerns about the Asia-Pacific trade deal, there is a limit to how many votes Obama could round up at this point.

“Personally, I think it’s in the 50-to-60 range max, given who has already pledged their vote,” said Gerry Connolly of Virginia, the New Democrats’ vice chairman.

The six-year bill is a hard sell to many Democrats, especially in the industrial Midwest, where the North American Free Trade Agreement is often blamed for millions of lost manufacturing jobs.

“There’s no denying the historic, reflexive opposition that many Democrats have as soon as anyone utters the word ‘trade,’” White House spokesman Josh Earnest said. “The president is sympathetic to that.”

But New Democrat members said Obama was at his best in the meeting, explaining how the legislation would enable the administration to reach agreements that boost exports and answering concerns that lawmakers raised.

“It was candid. It was refreshing. It was very convincing, compelling,” Connolly said. “It was a shining moment. I think he was very much at the peak of his persuasive abilities on this very subject.”

Progressive groups have gathered more than 160,000 signatures urging House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi to oppose the fast track bill. The California Democrat has not taken that step. But no Democratic leader in either the House or the Senate has backed the bill in the face of harsh criticism from the left.

“The TPP is a secret trade agreement that rich corporations can read but the rest of us can’t,” said Paul Hogarth, campaign director at the liberal website Daily Kos. “It will endanger American jobs and the environment. That’s why we are so opposed to fast-track legislation and urge all House Democrats to oppose it.”

The White House argues the massive Asia-Pacific agreement would be a major improvement over previous trade deals by including enforceable rules to protect workers and the environment. It would also open new markets for U.S. exports in fast-growing region by eliminating tariffs and other trade barriers.

For many newer members of Congress, the fast-track trade bill is the first hard vote they have faced.

“It’s the same way I saw the health care law,” said Rep. Mike Quigley (D-Ill.), referring to the epic battle of Obama’s first administration. “I see people shifting from ‘please keep this away from me’ to ‘I’m beginning to understand it’ toward leaning ‘yes.’”