On Tuesday, the Senate failed to move forward on Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) — the legislative framework under which Congress must consider future trade agreements if they are to be enacted into law. TPA must pass first so that Congress can consider the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a trade agreement between the U.S. and 11 countries in the Pacific rim, from Peru to Japan to New Zealand.

This agreement does not include China — an important fact to remember amid the ongoing debate.