Harry Reid Plans To Block Trade Deal Until Senate Deals With Surveillance Reform, Highway Funding

WASHINGTON -- Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is putting the brakes on a Senate effort to push through a controversial trade deal, saying that Democrats will block the measure until the Senate deals first with a stalled infrastructure bill and a package of reforms to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, known as FISA.

"We have two very complicated issues that I think should have strong consideration before we even deal with trade," Reid said in an interview with The Huffington Post, referencing the two measures that are set to expire unless the Senate takes action.

Reid said he has spoken with his leadership team and is confident Democratic senators will stick together to demand the two bills be dealt with before moving to approval for trade promotion authority or the Trans-Pacific Partnership. "I'm not willing to lay over and play dead on trade until we have some commitment from them on surface transportation," he said.

The same goes for FISA, he said, arguing the Senate should adopt a package of reforms in the House. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has pushed instead for a five-year extension of the current surveillance policy, without any reforms. "I'm not willing to simply let anyone move to FISA without a fight unless I have some idea of what they're going to do with it," Reid said.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/05/04/harry-reid-tpp_n_7208076.html