GOP leaders putting together trade rescue plan

WASHINGTON -- After talks with President Barack Obama, top Republican leaders in Congress put together a quick rescue plan Tuesday for highly controversial, White House-backed trade legislation that derailed in the House last week.

Officials said House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., were likely to split the stalled bill into two parts in hopes of sending them to the president separately, with Republicans providing most of the needed votes for one part and Democrats for the other.

The first would consist of stand-alone legislation strengthening Obama's hand in global trade talks by giving Congress the right to accept or reject any future deal but not change it.

A second measure would renew an expiring program of assistance to workers who lose their jobs because of imports.

The combined bill stalled in the House last week when Democrats, who normally support the assistance program, voted against it in large numbers as a way to bottle up the portions relating to trade deals organized labor and its allies vehemently oppose.

Officials stressed no final determination had been made to pursue the rescue plan, but several Republicans said McConnell briefed GOP rank-and-file senators on the details at a lunchtime meeting.

Nor was there any confirmation from the White House that Obama had approved the approach, even though Republicans have said repeatedly he must bear much of the responsibility for rounding up enough Democratic support to salvage a measure that stands as one of his top second-term priorities.

"It's still my hope we can still achieve what we set out to achieve together," McConnell said at a news conference.

Said Boehner, talking separately with reporters earlier in the day, "We're looking for a way forward, and when we find one, we'll let you know."

He said he is committed to enacting "fast track" -- the term used to describe the negotiating authority Obama seeks -- "as soon as possible."

If the plan holds, an attempt might be made to send Obama the two bills before lawmakers begin a July 4 break at the end of next week.

The quick timetable would be designed to blunt any move by labor unions and other opponents to mobilize against the legislation.