The White House said on Monday it could still win congressional approval of the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact before President Barack Obama leaves office, and warned that failing to do so would undermine U.S. leadership in the region. “The president is going to make a strong case that we have made progress and there is a path for us to get this done before the president leaves office,” White House spokesman Josh Earnest told a news briefing ahead of Obama's trip to Asia this week. Obama has made the 12-nation free trade deal the centerpiece of a diplomatic “pivot” to Asia, but the prospects for congressional approval have looked increasingly dim, with both major presidential candidates – Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump – standing opposed.
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White House says it sees a path to approval of Pacific trade deal