OUR REPUBLICAN PRESIDENT:

GOP leaders in both chambers are close to introducing legislation that would grant the administration broad authority to finalize one of the largest free-trade pacts in the nation's history. Lawmakers would not be allowed to amend the terms, and Congress would be required to hold a relatively quick up-or-down vote that could not be filibustered.

The aim of such fast-track legislation, formally known as trade-promotion authority (TPA), is to give U.S. negotiators more leverage to complete a deal by assuring their international counterparts that changes could not be made after the fact. Obama called for the powers in his State of the Union address, and his push represents a rare area of common cause with Republicans.

Though the GOP has spent the past several months accusing the president of abusing his powers by sidestepping Congress on a number of issues, only a small number of conservative lawmakers has lobbied against granting Obama the additional authority on trade. 

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