In 2002 Nancy Pelosi, Steny Hoyer, VP Biden and SoS Kerry voted against Trade Fast Track

[cali]

as did Udall of CO and Udall of NM and some other prominent dems who are still either in the House or Senate. Bush was President. The push for passage of the Trade Promotion Authority in order to pass the Trans Pacific Partnership Authority this fall and later the EU-US Free Trade Agreement, is on.

We know to a certainty that Biden and Kerry will ferociously be arm twisting on the Hill, despite their earlier opposition to these trade agreements, and I'd bet nearly anything that Pelosi and Hoyer will align with the President and be arm twisting like crazy themselves.

There's an odd coalition forming in the House to oppose the TPA (which is really about stopping the TPP and the EU-US Trade Agreements). It's composed of tea party types and Progressive dems. There's no chance that the Senate will vote down the TPA. The usual suspects from the dem party will support it as will most repukes. In 2002 the vote in the House was 215 yeas to 212 nays. In the Senate it was a lopsided 64-34.

These Trade Agreements are much larger and more far reaching than anything that was passed under shrub- in 2 words; far worse these:

Under the second period of fast-track authority, Congress enacted implementing legislation for the United States-Chile Free Trade Agreement, the United States-Singapore Free Trade Agreement, the United States-Australia Free Trade Agreement, the United States-Morocco Free Trade Agreement, the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement, the United States-Bahrain Free Trade Agreement, the United States-Oman Free Trade Agreement, and the Peru Trade Promotion Agreement. Other agreements may come to Congress under fast track, notably: the Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement, the South Korea – United States Free Trade Agreement, and the Panama – United States Trade Promotion Agreement.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trade_Promotion_Authority


http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2002/roll370.xml

http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=107&session=2&vote=00207

[cali]

1. The TPA fight will begin shortly, at the end of this month or sometime in September

this will be one to watch closely.

[LWolf]

2. I know that both of my Senators are paying attention.

It remains to be seen where their votes will fall. They'll be hearing from me.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/25/trans-pacific-partnership-documents-sherrod-brown-jeff-merkley-ron-wyden-robert-menendez_n_1624956.html

[cali]

3. thanks for that link. I hadn't seen that. Who are your Senators?

Who is your rep? The best chance there is of stopping this in the House. Only Senators get a vote on Trade Agreements, but the TPA must pass the House first. I don't think the admin would even consider trying to pass the TPP unless they get fast track through.

[LWolf]

4. Wyden and Merkley are my Senators.

My rep is Greg Walden, the only (R) in the House from Oregon. I live on the red side of the state.

While the other 5 Reps, and our 2 Senators, have been vocal at least about the lack of transparency, Walden has refused comment. He will vote for the TPP.

Here is what De Fazio, Oregons 4th district Rep, has to say; he's the best we've got, imo:

http://www.defazio.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=794:defazio-seeks-protections-for-forestry-jobs-in-trade-agreements&catid=69:2012-press-releases

and

[cali]

5. Good letter but it really doesn't get to the heart of what's wrong with

chapter 19.

I see Walden voted for fast track in 2002, but maybe he'll vote nay this time around? Is that a possibility? Lots of repubs vote against anything that the President proposes; maybe he's one of them?

[LWolf]

6. One could hope, but

he's not talking at this point.

Wyden...a good Senator, but not on every issue. I don't know if he'll use the transparency issue to boost his liberal creds, and then vote yea, or if he'll hold the line. He is surely hearing from me about it, anyway.

Merkley...I have more confidence in him.