White House insists still pushing Asia trade pact

WASHINGTON, Feb 14 (AFP): The White House on Friday rushed to make clear that it remained committed to sealing a vast Pan-Pacific trade pact, despite stiff resistance among its closest Democratic allies in Congress.

The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is a centerpiece of Obama's "rebalancing" of foreign policy towards the emerging economies of Asia.

But the top Democrats in the Senate and the House of Representatives have signaled that they oppose granting trade promotion authority (TPA) -- which would effectively allow President Barack Obama to negotiate trade deals which cannot be later modified by Congress.

A report on Friday quoted Vice President Joe Biden in a closed-door meeting with Democratic lawmakers as acknowledging the push for granting TPA, for four years, was on hold.

But a senior administration official argued forcibly that the bid to secure TPA, which expired in 2007, and the TPP remained on track.

"I would not suggest in any way we are not committed to concluding a TPP this year," the official said on condition of anonymity. "We are going to keep at this. TPA is part of that broader context.

"People are referring to second hand accounts of something that the vice president may have said in a closed door session," the official said.

The Huffington Post on Friday quoted Biden as indicating that the drive for TPA-a heavy lift for Democrats who fear a backlash from the pro-trade union constituents in a mid-term election year, was on hold.

"Nancy, I know it's not coming up now," Biden told House Democratic minority leader Nancy Pelosi, the website said, quoting a Democrat source attending the party retreat in Cambridge, Maryland.