Obama had hoped to win approval of the TPP in the lame-duck session of Congress, which begins Monday, but that slim chance was dashed when Donald Trump was elected president. | Getty Former Biden aide: Obama won't push TPP in lame duck

Vice President Joe Biden's former economic adviser has thrown more cold water on the idea that President Barack Obama could launch a quixotic battle to win approval of the Trans-Pacific Partnership before leaving office.

"Various credible sources tell me that Obama will NOT try to pass the TPP in lame duck. Not unexpected, but there it is ..." Jared Bernstein, now a senior fellow at the left-leaning Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, tweeted Friday.


Obama had hoped to win approval of the TPP in the lame-duck session of Congress, which begins Monday, but that slim chance was dashed when Donald Trump was elected president. Trump has vowed to begin steps to withdraw from the pact on day one of his administration even if Congress were to pass the agreement in the coming weeks.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Wednesday there would be no vote on TPP this year, but Trump would have the chance to negotiate a better deal if he desired. A spokeswoman for House Speaker Paul Ryan said the Republican leader is standing by comments he made before the election that there would not be a vote in the lame duck.

Obama will meet with leaders of the 11 other TPP countries next week in Peru at the annual summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum. White House officials, at a briefing Friday on the trip, did not directly address whether Obama would submit the agreement to Congress. But they referred to McConnell's comments that there would not be a vote.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters Wednesday that Obama continues to believe the lame-duck session is the best opportunity to pass the agreement, which would eliminate tariffs and strengthen trading rules with 11 other countries in the Asia-Pacific region.

"We've got a strong case to make with regard to the Trans-Pacific Partnership, and we're going to encourage Republican leaders to take it up and pass it because of the enormous benefits that would accrue to American workers, American businesses and the broader U.S. economy," Earnest said.

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative said Friday that it has resolved many of the outstanding concerns lawmakers had about the pact and is ready to move if Republican leaders change their minds about scheduling a vote.

"Working together, we made a lot of progress and are ready to move forward," USTR spokesman Matthew McAlvanah said. "But ultimately it is a legislative process, and the final step is for Congress to take."

This article tagged under: Trans-Pacific Partnership