DCPolitics

Not So “Fast Track?”

“OBAMATRADE” OFF THE RAILS? || By ROBERT ROMANO || Senate Democrats blocked legislation on May 12 that would grant trade promotion authority to President Barack Obama to negotiate the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a commercial treaty between the U.S. and Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam….

“OBAMATRADE” OFF THE RAILS?

|| By ROBERT ROMANO || Senate Democrats blocked legislation on May 12 that would grant trade promotion authority to President Barack Obama to negotiate the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a commercial treaty between the U.S. and Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam.

The vote failed to clear the 60-vote threshold, 52-45.

Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-Oreg.) is demanding, according to Roll Call, “a guarantee or an agreement that the customs bill, the Trade Promotion Authority bill, the Trade Adjustment Assistance and a three-bill package that includes the African Growth and Opportunity Act, Generalized System of Preferences and reauthorization of a trade program for Haiti move through Congress and become law, his spokesman Keith Chu said.”

The customs bill, reports Rollcall.com, “would expand the definition of export subsidies to include currency undervaluation by trading partners that causes harm to U.S. companies. The United States would have to impose import duties on goods the Commerce Department identifies as benefiting from the undervaluation.”

Keep in mind, according to the initial demands, all of this legislation including the monetary provisions has to “move through Congress and become law,” not simply be granted Senate votes only to be ultimately defeated.

There’s only one problem.  That would torpedo the entire agreement, say Senate Republicans, to whom the filibuster came as a surprise. Japan, for example, would drop out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership if it included monetary policy.

“We’re not open to something that was not agreed to, and flies in the face of what was agreed to,” Senate finance committee chairman Orrin Hatch told reporters, expressing dismay that the original deal to bring the bill to the floor had been altered.

As for the fate of the bill, Hatch said, “It all depends on the Democrats, not us. They’re the ones killing the bill.”

This turned out to be quite an impasse in the Senate, where easy passage had been expected for the trade bill …

(To continue reading this piece, press the “Read More …” icon below).

Robert Romano is the Senior Editor of Americans for Limited Government.  This piece (reprinted with permission) originally appeared on NetRightDaily.com.

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13 comments

Centrist View May 13, 2015 at 2:39 pm

They are worried not about Ross Perot’s “great sucking sound” of jobs, but about the great sucking sound of their votes being sucked out of the 2016 election box.

On the POTUS Lame Duck Scale of 0% – 100% Dead Duck, where does the current White House occupant set?

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easterndumbfuckistan May 13, 2015 at 5:30 pm

Somewhere around 75%. If his party continues to be against him it will quickly escalate to in excess of 95%.

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Imagine That May 13, 2015 at 5:01 pm

Democrats blocking the bill and the Republicans crying over it, but it is still called Obamatrade? Hmmmmmmm…

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Rocky May 13, 2015 at 10:12 pm

Latest news, it passes tomorrow – thank you uncle mitch.

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Garbage May 13, 2015 at 10:19 pm

I don’t expect it to pass. Do you have information that shows it might?

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fc May 13, 2015 at 10:31 pm

Rocky is correct. It will pass tomorrow. Obama has lost control of the Democrat Party.They hate Obama.he lost the senate,house and every state legislature that could politically be lost in the ‘heartland’. Mitch allowed DOJ Lynch to be confirmed after humiliating him for weeks…Mitch just humiliated Obama again with ‘Obamatrade’ vote by dems…he is just getting even…Mitch owns him…

Blacks and hispanics aren’t going to turn out to vote in 2016.Why ‘Rock’ the boat.

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Garbage May 13, 2015 at 10:40 pm

that must be sarcasm.

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Garbage May 13, 2015 at 10:41 pm

Yes. It’s a joke.

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fc May 13, 2015 at 10:51 pm

Forget that.Love that organization you have mentioned and appreciate all that home school their children.

You are doing Gods work.

Garbage May 13, 2015 at 10:59 pm

You don’t have to be a religious nut to join them. They are an advocate of home schooling. Join their site and you might see the cases they take on. IF you want to home school in SC, you really need to be a member of HSLDA. We don’t have a liberal fighting for our rights.

They don’t push their views on you. They do fight for your rights.

Garbage May 13, 2015 at 10:14 pm

I don’t think Obamatrade is going to pass before next election. Of more importance to me is the UN CRC. Some might want to look at http://www.parentalrights.org/ for more information.

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Garbage May 13, 2015 at 10:18 pm

Home School Legal Defense coming soon to Columbia: Room 516 of the Blatt House office building upon adjournment of the House session Thursday, May 14:

Support Mike Farris as
He Testifies in Columbia Come to the Statehouse on Thursday.
Mike Farris is the founder and chairman of HSLDA and a homeschooling father of 10.

HSLDA Founder and Chairman Michael Farris is scheduled to testifyThursday before a South CarolinaHouse Judiciary Subcommittee on Constitutional Law.

His expert testimony will confirm the need to use the process the founders established in Article V of the U.S. Constitution for reining in an out-of-control federal government.

Farris is also cofounder of the Convention of States Project. The SouthCarolina resolution for this Article V effort is H 3177.

The hearing will take place in Room 516 of the Blatt House office building upon adjournment of the House session Thursday, May 14. This should put the time of the hearing at approximately noon.

If there is any way you can attend this hearing, please consider coming. If you have friends in the Columbia area who want to help save our country, please encourage them to attend to hear Dr. Farris’ testimony.

This is a very crucial resolution; it’s important to let these committee members see your support in person.

Reply
FastEddy23 May 14, 2015 at 12:25 am

Repeating: this trade deal is just circumvention of congressional prerogatives as outlined in the Constitution.

The little piggies want their share of the skim. Just like Billary have been getting for decades.

Reply

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