Hatch Signals Potential TPP Changes; Ryan Withholds Final Judgment

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-UT) this week repeatedly signaled the possibility that the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) deal as announced may have to be changed to be satisfactory to Congress, as he questioned whether it meets the negotiating objectives laid out in the fast-track law in such areas as intellectual property protection for biologic drugs, shielding tobacco regulations from investor-state challenges, and labor commitments. He noted on Wednesday (Oct. 7) that the Obama administration and 11 other trading partners...