The Bush administration had set obtaining "fast track" trade negotiation authority as one of its top legislative goals for 2002. Fast track gave the president the power to forbid amendments on trade agreements submitted to Congress for approval. In the Senate, this power was granted to him in a piece of legislation that also extended a number of free trade provisions in U.S. law. Kerry (D-MA) proposed an amendment to this legislation that ensured foreign companies could not sue under NAFTA to overturn unfavorable U.S. regulations and jury verdicts simply because they cost the company money. Progressives supported this amendment, because foreign companies had been using NAFTA to establish immunity from regulations that U.S. companies were required to obey. Baucus (D-MT) made a motion to table (kill) this amendment. Progressives opposed this motion to table, but it passed, 55-41, and Kerry's amendment fell.