WASHINGTON (AP) – Despite formidable opposition across the political spectrum, President Barack Obama is using his final months in office to fight for congressional approval of a 12-nation free trade pact called the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
Administration officials say Obama would speak about the trade agreement at each stop during his trip to China and Laos.
Back home, presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump bash it and public opinion polls indicate voters are closely divided on the agreement’s merits.
A survey conducted by the Pew Research Center estimated that 39 percent of registered voters view TPP as a bad thing for the United States and 37 percent consider it a good thing, hardly the kind of numbers that would inspire Congress to heed the president’s call.
Where things stand on the agreement and Obama’s effort: