Key trade pact vote in Congress set for 12 June

A simple majority of the voting members is all that is needed. But even though the pro-trade party, the Republicans, has a 58-seat majority in the 435-seat chamber, the result will likely be very tight as many Republicans will vote no just to spite President Barack Obama, a Democrat. While the Democrats are mostly hostile to free trade deals, Obama has been working the phones in recent days as he needs about 20 or more of them to vote for…