All but one Senate Democrat voted today to block the opening of debate on a bill that would give President Obama “trade promotion authority,” allowing him to negotiate and finalize the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a trade and regulatory agreement with about a dozen other countries (it would enable him to negotiate other agreements, such as one with the European Union, too). Democrats want to impose certain restrictions — measures against currency manipulation, for instance — on what kind of deal the president can reach.

The president, most congressional Republicans, and no small number of Democrats want to give Obama the “fast track” authority to negotiate a deal and then bring it to Congress for approval, but Democrats — including a number of supporters of the legislation — have blocked it for now.

This wasn’t a standard filibuster of a motion to end debate and have a vote on a bill — minority leader Harry Reid has chosen to halt consideration of the trade bill at a very early stage. This appears to be because Democrats want a number of other vaguely trade-related priorities, such as compensation for workers who lose their jobs to trade disruption (a worthless program, as it happens), satisfied before they allow the fast-track bill to go forward.

NR’s editors are for giving Obama said authority, which requires an act of Congress but has long been the historical norm.

Every Republican present voted to move the measure forward except Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, for procedural reasons — including some Republicans who’ve expressed ambivalence over the measure. The Democrat who voted to advance the bill was Tom Carper of Delaware, who’s been a strong ally of Republicans and the president on the issue.