Sen. Robert Menendez urged colleagues on Monday to preserve an amendment he authored to bar expedited trade deals with countries that have the world's worst human trafficking records.

The amendment, which passed the Senate Finance Committee 16-10 last month, likely would make it difficult for the Obama administration to finalize the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership, which would be the largest free-trade agreement in history.

One proposed partner, Malaysia, is among 23 countries that received the State Department's worst ranking — Tier 3 — on action to combat human trafficking, according to the agency's most recent report.

Menendez, a New Jersey Democrat who previously has battled the Obama administration on foreign policy, said that, "contrary to the administration's comments," his amendment isn't a "poison pill" designed to kill the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

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