U.S. House Speaker Ryan: Pacific trade deal faces defeat in Congress

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan on Thursday said the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement still faces an uphill battle for support in Congress and that he was not inclined to bring it up for a vote, because it would not pass.

U.S. President Barack Obama's Pacific trade deal with partners in Asia would "go down" in any vote held now, Ryan told reporters at a regular press briefing.

"If you bring it up, it's going to go down, I don't think we should bring up a bill that goes down," Ryan said.

(Reporting by Susan Cornwell and Susan Heavey)