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Republican Ryan says House closing in on trade bill passage

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U.S. House Minority leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) holds a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington …

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Congress is "within striking distance" of collecting enough votes to pass legislation critical to a major Asian trade pact, House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee Chairman Paul Ryan said on Thursday.

But more support for the Trade Promotion Authority bill is still needed, and senior Republicans and Democrats accused each other of not doing enough to round up votes in their respective parties.

The legislation would give the Obama administration so-called fast-track authority to negotiate a sweeping free-trade pact with 11 Pacific-rim nations.