This whole Fast Track brouhaha and controversy makes me distrust the government, politicians and our political process (even two Texas politicos involved, Pete Sessions and Cornyn). I don’t know if Fast Track is good or bad for America because of all the secrecy, obfuscation and outright lies surrounding it. It is being used as a political football by the DemoMarxists and their union masters and by the GOP and their Chamber of Commerce masters, for two diametrically-opposite reasons. Do I trust what any politician tells me about Fast Track? NO WAY!! Do I think that once Obama gets this decidedly unconstitutional authority that (based on his track record since January 2009) he will use it for nefarious purposes to cause further harm to America and the American people? ABSOLUTELY.
As somebody on one of my threads the other day asked, “what would YOU do about the trade deal?” and I answered, leave the present deal alone as it is, since it’s been in effect for the past 10 years or more .. no new trade deal until our own middle class have a ton of jobs they can earn good money from. That’s why I’d prefer Congress to place Fast Track on the back-burner for the 18 months left before the rogue fraud “president’s” departure to insure that “his highness” can’t use this awesomely powerful political tool during his remaining term of office. Give the NEXT Executive this power, whomever it may be, because they are not a PROVEN LIAR and Constitution side-stepper like Obama.
It all comes down to a matter of TRUST. Frankly I don’t trust any of the players involved: Obama has a truth problem and it has now become apparent with their shenanigans to pass Fast Track any way possible, that neither Boehner, McConnell, Ryan, Sessions, Cornyn nor others may be trusted either. This is a very sad moment in the history of the Constitutional Republic of the United States where WE THE PEOPLE are stuck with elected pols we cannot remove and who are demonstrably unreliable, untruthful and imperious. As such, the very best thing we could hope from this Congress and Executive Branch is absolutely NOTHING until “the day of the jackal” ends in January of 2017.
Historic landslide election victory in November 2014 to gutless traitors in a few short months. “Fredo, you broke my heart .. I know it was YOU!” (h/t The Godfather)
Rick Moran, in today’s American Thinker…
The president’s trade agenda was revived in the House when members voted 218-208 to give Obama fast track authority to conclude a free trade deal with 11 Asian nations.
Last Friday, the House rejected the measure 219-211. But that bill contained Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) to compensate workers for being displaced by the trade agreement. Democrats, who support TAA, voted against the bill anyway, hoping to kill the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) deal.
In last week’s vote, the House GOP paired the fast track bill with a measure known as Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) that gives aid to workers displaced by trade. Both measures needed to be approved in separate votes for the entire package to move forward.
House Democrats have historically favored TAA, but they voted against it on Friday to kill fast-track, which is deeply opposed by unions and other liberal groups.
The White House still wants both measures to reach Obama’s desk, but is now advancing a different strategy that would see the two bills move separately.
The problem lies in the Senate, which previously approved a package that included both bills.
If the two move separately, Republicans and the White House will have to convince Senate Democrats to back fast-track on the promise that TAA will move forward at a later time.
The president spoke with a group of Senate Democrats on Wednesday at the White House, and talks continued in the Senate on Thursday on a way to give the president trade promotion authority, also known as fast-track.
One possible solution would see the Senate vote first to pass a trade preferences bill, this time with the TAA program attached. It would then be sent to the House for a vote before the Senate considers fast track.
This planned move angered members of the Congressional Black Caucus, who asked Senate leaders not to use the trade measure, which would provide preferential access to the U.S. market for African countries, as a bargaining chip to pass trade promotion authority.
Democrats opposed to the trade package expressed frustration that GOP leaders were bypassing them.
“Instead of cooperation, they’ve opted to use procedural tricks to pass the TPA,” said Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.).
As promised, all 28 pro-trade House Democrats supported the bill again.
Fast track is still in trouble, given the Senate’s reluctance to move ahead with it unless TAA is included. Senate Democrats don’t trust Majority Leader McConnell to bring up TAA once fast track is passed. Hence, the move to pass TAA first, and then work on fast track.
It probably won’t work. The House has its own objections to TAA, and it’s uncertain whether a TAA stand alone bill could pass. So, while the House vote yesterday may have temporarily resuscitated fast track authority, there is only modest hope that the patient will make a full recovery.