Representative Paul Ryan has set a January 27, 2015 Ways and Means Committee hearing with USTR Michael Froman on trade. Senator Orrin Hatch has set a Senate Finance Committee hearing on trade policy, featuring Michael Froman, on the same day.
It is important for us to let the GOP rank and file know that they should use their newfound power to devise a pro-American trade strategy that grows our economy. Not ratify the old Clinton/Bush/Obama policy that has proven to be a failure.
Many GOP rank and file don’t understand why they should give President Obama more power when they believe he has abused executive power in many cases.
The GOP leadership argument has been that Fast Track gives them more control over trade negotiations. That’s an odd and incorrect argument when Fast Track allows secret negotiations and merely ratifies what USTR has already done in negotiations. Plus, any “negotiating objectives” they specify in the Fast Track bill are not binding on the President. Obama and Froman can do whatever they want, in secret, while spoon feeding Congress with happy talk.
