WASHINGTON — The path ahead for President Barack Obama’s battered trade agenda is coming into focus. Here’s how it is likely to unfold, according to well-placed House and Senate sources. [Reposted from the Huffington Post | Ryan Grim | June 16, 2015] First, a few definitions. TPA: Trade promotion authority, aka “fast track.” Obama and…
On Friday, June 12th, 2015, the House of Representatives held an extensive debate on whether Congress should adopt fast track rules for ratifying the Trans Pacific Partnership. Advocates of this secret trade deal made arguments that took them into a world of fantasy economics and delusional politics. Some examples illustrate that point. [Reposted with the…
Vote down Fast Track trade bill [Reposted from the Denver Business Journal | Asa Beck | June 12, 2015] There have been several times in the past where we have granted Fast Track Authority to presidents and it did not work out too well for us—Free Trade is the label they all use in Washington…
Advocates use the concept of free trade like it’s a silver bullet that solves the world’s growth challenges to justify Fast Tracking the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) free trade agreement. But hidden behind the façade of free trade the crony capitalists’ are fostering protectionism for multinational corporations in the form of the investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS)…
(CNN) There’s no path for Congress to send President Barack Obama a historic free trade package right now, potentially marking the death of a measure he envisioned as a pillar of his second-term legacy. [Reposted from CNN | Eric Bradner and Deirdre Walsh | June 16, 2015] The House was expected to hold another vote…
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The U.S. Constitution clearly states, “The Congress shall have power to … regulate commerce with foreign nations.” Congress has a responsibility to assert this right and forge consensus on trade and globalization. [Reposted from USA Today | Rep. Nancy Pelosi | June 15, 2015 In order to succeed in the global economy, it is necessary…
Updated: The House Republican leadership has decided to delay from Tuesday (June 16) until July 30 the deadline for the House of Representatives to hold a second vote on renewing the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) program, in a move apparently aimed at giving President Obama and supporters of his trade agenda in Congress more time to…
When Nancy Pelosi pleaded with her Democratic colleagues to “slow down the fast-track to get to a better deal for the American people,” the House minority leader inadvertently helped the GOP. By pulling the plug on President Obama’s crony corporatist trade deal, Pelosi effectively held Republicans back from colluding with an unpopular president to fully…
Stan Sorscher is the president of the Washington Fair Trade Coalition and sits on the Board of the Coalition for a Prosperous America. Congress’ vote on fast-track authority is historic [“Reps. Denny Heck and Adam Smith wrongly oppose Obama’s trade ambitions,” Opinion, June 12]. We should congratulate U.S. Reps. Adam Smith, Denny Heck and Jim…