North Carolina’s two U.S. senators, Republicans Richard Burr and Thom Tillis, pounced.
 
The reason? Tobacco.

Tillis, especially, has been warning of possible efforts to exclude tobacco as being unfairly harmful to North Carolina, which he said has 22,000 tobacco-related jobs. He has appealed on fairness, acknowledging that most fellow lawmakers are not in tobacco-growing states.

Tillis and Burr both expressed opposition. Tillis has made the carve out a litmus test, saying it sets a “dangerous precedent.”
 
“I will not only vote against the TPP, but actively work to help defeat its ratification in the Senate,” Tillis said.

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