US President Barack Obama is unleashing one final aggressive campaign to push the Trans-Pacific Partnership through Congress before he leaves the White House.
The president's senior adviser, Valerie Jarrett, confirmed on Wednesday the proposed TPP mega trade deal between the US, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and eight other Pacific Rim nations was on the top of Mr Obama's agenda.
"Even though, as the president says, we are in the fourth quarter, really important things happen in the final seconds before the clock runs out," Jarrett told a meeting of the President's Export Council.
Mr Obama's staunchest TPP opponents in Congress, led by former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, held a press conference in Washington DC to flag their concerns about the White House joining forces with corporations to force its passage.
"When you have the Business Roundtable and virtually every multi-national corporation saying they want this, we understand that's real power and real money and real resources and real 30-second ads," Sanders told reporters.
Democratic representative from Connecticut, Rosa DeLauro, warned the president and his TPP allies "will do virtually anything" to get the votes in Congress.
"We should anticipate more free rides on Air Force One, visits to the White House, special events in members' districts to try to gain favour for the deal," Ms DeLauro said.
"The administration will be relentless."
Frontrunners for president Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump oppose the TPP while key Republicans, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Paul Ryan, have talked down the likelihood of it passing through Congress before Mr Obama's term ends in January.
