CLEVELAND, Ohio Ohio Gov. John Kasich will join President Barack Obama and others Friday at the White House for a "bipartisan strategy session" to promote passage of the Trans-Pacific Partnership a trade deal that has become a key issue in this year's election.
Kasich is the most notable Republican on the guest list.
Others attendees will include:
Democratic Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards
Democratic Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed
Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a political independent
Henry Paulson, who served as treasury secretary under Republican President George W. Bush
IBM Chief Executive Virginia Rometty
Retired Admiral and NATO Supreme Allied Commander James Stavridis
A Kasich spokeswoman said the governor will appear at a press briefing afterward with Reed.
"Ohio, like our nation, enjoys an enviable standard of living because, among other reasons, we have a skilled workforce that produces innovative, high-quality goods and services which are highly-sought around the world," Kasich said in a statement the governor's office emailed Thursday evening. "Properly enforcing the rules of free trade and extending them to more and more markets only gives American workers and companies new opportunities to grow and thrive, and I urge Congress to act now to throw open these doors to job creation."
The meeting will afford Obama an opportunity to hear the participants' views on TPP and for the president to share thoughts on his recent Asia trip, a White House official said.