Obama Said to Consider Adding Worker Aid to Trade Measure

President Barack Obama’s administration is weighing whether to add provisions renewing aid for unemployed workers to legislation for free-trade agreements with South Korea, Colombia and Panama, according to people familiar with the matter.

Republicans in Congress have objected to renewing an expansion of Trade Adjustment Assistance and said Obama shouldn’t link the trade deals to that aid. Inserting the provisions in implementing legislation for one or more trade accords would force Congress to extend the aid or reject the agreements under fast-track procedures that guarantee an up-or-down vote on such trade measures.