TAA or “Trade Adjustment Assistance” was a legislative package attached to the “fast track” portion of legislation for President Obama’s Trans-Pacific Trade Agreement Authority.
In essence, TAA was a provision to provide financial assistance for any displaced U.S. workers who were negatively affected by any trade agreement. TAA was attached to the Senate’s bill for “fast track trade authority” which lowers the threshold for Senatorial Consent on any Obama trade deal. TAA was basically attached to, packaged with, TPA to get more support the fast track measure.
However, TAA failed to pass (126-yea, 302-nay):
WASHINGTON […] Only 40 Democrats backed TAA while 144 voted against it. On the GOP side, 158 Republicans voted “no” while 86 Republicans voted “yes.”
The vote against TAA is a humiliating defeat for Obama, who had spent weeks lobbying House Democrats to support his trade agenda in the face of overwhelming opposition from liberal groups and organized labor.