After weeks of political wrangling President Barack Obama scored a key victory Wednesday with Congress passing legislation that allows him to swiftly negotiate a Pacific trade accord.

Obama relied on a majority of Republicans to get the measure, which passed the House last week, across the finish line with a vote of 60 to 38 in the Senate.

The so-called trade promotion authority expands Obama's powers to negotiate the Trans-Pacific Partnership and other trade deals and present them to Congress for an up-or-down vote, without lawmakers able to pick apart the accord.