Minnesota Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken maintained their objection to the bill to give President Obama "fast track" trade negotiating authority before and after the amendment process.
The two Democrats were co-sponsors of an amendment that was narrowly defeated that would have included stronger currency manipulation sanctions.
In the end, the bill did not go far enough for either senator.
"I'm a strong proponent of fair trade that ensures that everyone can compete on a level playing field, but the fast track legislation passed today falls far short of that," Franken said in a statement after the cloture vote on the amended bill passed. "The bill doesn't do nearly enough to protect our state's workers and businesses from unfair trade practices, and it strips away Congress' ability to have a real say in our trade agreements. You need to look no further than Minnesota's Iron Range to see what happens when adequate trade protections aren't in place: foreign countries can unfairly dump their cheaply priced goods, causing Minnesotans to lose their jobs. I don't think this bill is in the best interest of Minnesota, and that's why I voted against it."
A Klobuchar spokeswoman offered similar sentiments.
"Ultimately, the TPA bill did not include provisions to crack down on the unfair dumping of foreign steel – such as Senator Klobuchar's amendment to provide tools to strengthen enforcement against illegal dumping," the spokeswoman said in a statement. "Nor did it include the strong provisions to prevent currency manipulation needed to put American workers on an even playing field with workers in other countries."
