Yesterday I wrote about a Senate vote refusing to move forward on fast track authority for the TPP and future trade deals. In that article, stated that I expected only temporary success and hoped for inclusions with safeguards for working Americans. It appears that success will be far too temporary and that my hope was in vain.
Senate Democrats on Wednesday relented in their opposition to the consideration of legislation expediting trade agreements, just 24 hours after their vote blocking the bill put a temporary halt on President Obama’s trade agenda.
In exchange for allowing Trade Promotion Authority to move forward, Democrats will get to vote Thursday on bills cracking down on Chinese currency manipulation and giving preferential treatment to imports from African countries. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced the deal on the Senate floor on Wednesday. Trade Promotion Authority allows the president to negotiate agreements that Congress must vote on without amendment. To secure Democratic votes, McConnell will combine that bill with a separate measure providing aid to workers displaced by foreign trade. Senate Democrats on Tuesday had demanded that McConnell package all four bills together, but he refused on the grounds that the currency proposal would have sunk the underlying trade legislation in the House. Now House Republicans can choose to ignore the currency and Africa measures even if they clear the Senate… [emphasis added]
Inserted from <The Atlantic>
If I understand it correctly, all the accompanying bills will stand or fail on their own. Even if the separate measures pass, the House will be able to pass Fast Track and send it on while rejecting everything else. I could be mistaken, because I have read contradicting sources on the issue. The down side is that Fast Track looks like it will pass, if it has not done so already.
19 Responses to “Far too Short a Victory!”
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On yesterday's Fast Track article I posted this morning what we should all do to prevent Fast Track from passing in the House, since the Senate has betrayed us.
Those of us who have Republican reps need to swamp them with emails and phone calls, not saying word one about the contents of the TPP, but stressing that Fast Track will be giving Congress's Constitutional authority away to – President Obama.
If that doesn't get the Tea Baggers to sit up and take notice, nothing will.
I quoted in full the text of the letter I eviscerated from Public Citizen in case anyone else has a knuckle-dragging Rep and wants to use it.
May God have mercy on us all – as our political masters the world over and the mega-corporations most certainly won't. We are building opposition in the EU – but the fact that President Obama is so Hell-bent on it worries and baffles me.
Good idea! Throw in the N word!
good advice Joanne
I think this rift between Obama and Warren and the rest of party is going to get our party to exactly get something done. It is not the trade deal that is bad for country but in years past there were never ever any kind of bargaining. So I would not be to worried. Obama and Warren are getting something done. The republican/tea party think they are pulling the strings but I would put my money on Obama and Warren. Of course that is just my opinion. There is already victory. The party working to get something done.(When is the last time that happen?)
Mama, I would like nothing better than to learn that when the smoke clears, the trade bill is as progressive as Obama says it is. However, until proven wrong, I shall opine that it is as bad as Warren xsays it is. I have no doubt that Obama believes his advisors. The problem is that he got them from Bill Clinton.
All I can say is that the few Dems that are in the Senate have let us down!
I imagine that the repukes that are from OK slimed their votes to OK anything that is for screwing the people of the US!!!
A bunch of Democrats held the line.
Blumenthal (D-CT)
Booker (D-NJ)
Boxer (D-CA)
Brown (D-OH)
Cardin (D-MD)
Casey (D-PA)
Donnelly (D-IN)
Durbin (D-IL)
Franken (D-MN)
Gillibrand (D-NY)
Hirono (D-HI)
King (I-ME)
Klobuchar (D-MN)
Leahy (D-VT)
Manchin (D-WV)
Markey (D-MA)
Menendez (D-NJ)
Merkley (D-OR)
Mikulski (D-MD)
Murphy (D-CT)
Reed (D-RI)
Reid (D-NV)
Sanders (I-VT)
Schatz (D-HI)
Schumer (D-NY)
Stabenow (D-MI)
Tester (D-MT)
Udall (D-NM)
Warren (D-MA)
Whitehouse (D-RI)
Is it too early to say: "Welcome to the New World Oder of Corporate Fascism."
It's about 35 years too late.
We should have known it was too good to last.
We did
"Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced the deal on the Senate floor on Wednesday. "
And when did McTurtle ever honour one of his "handshake" agreements???
I don't think there is a win here unless the whole TPP does a big belly flop!
Never.
On a lighter note, if you haven't had a chance to read Elizabeth Warren's autobiography "A Fighting Chance" – or even if you have and want to overdose on Liz – the May 5th issue of the "The New Yorker" has a wonderful article on Sen. Warren that's very good. (And a lot shorter than the 270-page book).
http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/05/04/the-virtual-candidate
Thanks Nameless.
I just hope the deal that is struck doesn't screw us too badly.
The German word for Vaseline is Vienerschleider. 😉
good advice Joanne