With Congress set to finish Obama's trade bills, eyes turn to proposed pacts in Asia, beyond
Congress is wrapping up President Barack Obama's trade agenda after handing him the big prize of "fast track" negotiating authority.
The House and Senate appear ready on Thursday to approve a jobs retraining program for workers displaced by international trade. It's usually a Democratic priority, but the retraining program briefly became hostage to Democrats' failed efforts to block fast track.
Also on tap are measures to renew the African Growth and Opportunity Act and to enact various customs provisions.
Passage of the bills will let Obama and his trade opponents shift their focus to proposed trade agreements under negotiation for years. The first involves the U.S., Japan and 10 other Pacific-rim nations.
The fast-track law allows Congress to ratify or reject such agreements, but not change or filibuster them.