Bi-Partisan Senate Introduces the TPP for FAST TRACK AUTHORITY!

[KoKo]

Congress Introduce Bi-Partisan Bill To Abdicate Its Own Role And Screw Over American Public All At Once
from the shameful dept

We knew this was happening sooner or later, but Senate Finance chair Max Baucus, along with ranking member Orrin Hatch, have introduced the "fast track authority" bill in the Senate. Over in the House, the same basic bill has been introduced by Rep. Dave Camp. There had been rumors that the introduction of the bill would be delayed because not a single House Democrat would co-sponsor the bill, but apparently the existing bill supporters decided not to wait. Fast track authority or "trade promotion authority" is a very dangerous concept. It is basically Congress completely abdicating its Constitutional authority under Article I, Section 8, Clause 3, which grants Congress the sole power "to regulate commerce with foreign nations."

Instead, what fast track authority means is that Congress is saying, "that's okay, you guys in the administration can handle that." Basically, it's Congress flat out telling the White House and the USTR that it, and not the Congress, can come up with trade agreements with foreign powers, and Congress will tie its own hands in being able to challenge or review the various provisions. Instead, it will limit Congress entirely to an up or down vote on the entire trade agreement. And, in this case, the fast track authority will be used to approve the TPP (and likely TAFTA/TTIP after that). These are trade agreements that, as we've already discussed, are designed to help certain legacy industries at the expense of innovation and the public. Specifically, this would grant the administration four years of "fast track authority" with an easy three year extension after that.

The most ridiculous part is that the sponsors of the bill that will give up Congress' own powers are claiming that it does the opposite:

TPA-2014 also provides greater transparency and gives Congress greater oversight of the Administration’s trade negotiations.

Uh, no. It does the exact opposite. It takes away Congress' Constitutional powers to regulate commerce with other nations, providing less oversight for trade negotiations and guaranteeing even less transparency than the almost none that exists today. The sponsors of the bill are pretending that the details in the 107 page bill "instruct" the USTR how to properly negotiate things like the TPP, but it's basically just repeating the USTR's existing wishlist. Included are, of course, a section on the importance of "high standards of intellectual property protection" as well as support for dangerous corporate sovereignty tribunals, commonly referred to as "investor state dispute settlement" plans.

While this bill is moderately bipartisan in the sponsorship (with Senator Baucus selling out the majority of his party who is opposed to it), it's the Republicans who are the driving force behind this. And that makes no sense at all. This is the same Republican party who shut down the entire federal government to block the president's healthcare proposal, and has spent years attacking anything that even has the mild stench of the executive branch taking on a role that goes beyond what the Constitution allows. And yet here they are gleefully handing over the Constitutionally-given reins for regulating foreign commerce... to the president they hate? How does that make any sense at all?

MORE AT:
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20140109/11443325823/congress-introduce-bi-partisan-bill-to-abdicate-its-own-role-screw-over-american-public-all-once.shtml

[AzDar]

1. K & R

[Autumn]

2. Bi-Partisan is another word for fuck the people.

And bend over because here it comes.

[pa28]

3. K&R. From what I've read in the bill so far it's a study in contradiction.

So far I've seen no guarantee the text of the TPP will be made public before a congressional vote.

[woo me with science]

4. They are not "centrists." They are corporate fascists.

They are predators. They are corporatists who put on Democrat and Republican costumes as needed to get elected, but their agenda is predatory. We have got to dispose of this lie that Koch-bankrolled corporatists have any interest whatsoever in serving the people, just because they slap a (D) after their names.

They are not "centrists." They are corporate fascists.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=4222551

who have infiltrated and taken control of both political parties. They have trampled the Constitution, turned the United States of America into a surveillance state, militarized our police forces, and created a nascent police state. They persecute whistleblowers and criminalize dissent. They strangle investigative journalism and create a propaganda machine to take its place. They are subverting our democratic, representative government and our Constitution to serve the interests of the wealthy elite, and they are working to turn the rest of us into wage slaves. They are profiting from bloody, undeclared wars; surveillance systems; private prisons; exploitative control of our health care and education; and privatization of every resource we have.

They are a menace to our representative government, our Constitution, and our freedom. Pretending that they are part of the normal representative governmental process, merely "centrists," is to vastly euphemize the cancer they really are.

[PowerToThePeople]

6. K & R. n/t

[annm4peace]

5. Called and left messages with my MN Senator

Sen Franken won because of the union workers.. the real progressives voted for Jack Nelson Palmeyer.
and now Sen Franken can't say he is against TPP.

and we know what Blue Dog Sen KLobuchar will do... she of course hasn't made up her mind.

I called both Senators tonight.. and thanked Rep Keith Ellison for being very vocal against it.

I will call again tomorrow and again on Monday.

[annm4peace]

7. This should be on fire

I hope everyone is contacting their Senators and Reps

[woo me with science]

10. We need people in the streets, too.

They know what we think and really don't care what we think or what we put in a letter or phone call.

Their goal is not to hear what we want so that they can represent us.

Their goal is to keep us as quiet and passive as possible while they implement the agenda they have already decided upon.

[LuvNewcastle]

17. Yes. All those in Congress who are supposedly are on the fence are supporters of the TPP.

What we have to do is make them afraid of the consequences if they vote in favor of it, or even if they vote for fast-track authority. It's a daunting task, but we can do it if we get the word out to enough people and explain what's happening.

I often put articles that I think need more attention on my Facebook page. I encourage others to do that as well. It isn't enough, certainly, but at least it will give more people some idea of what's being discussed when they hear news about it. It's important that people frame the issue in terms of the news we provide, not what they hear from the White House and Congress and the MSM.

[2banon]

51. Yeah, Lets get all jazzed about what's happening with Christie, while this goes unnoticed.

not surprised at all.

[NYC_SKP]

8. Recommended. Pass it on!!!

[City Lights]

9. Well isn't that just swell.

[liberal_at_heart]

11. I will kick this as many times as necessary.

[We People]

12. K&R - Shameful indeed!!

[jsr]

13. Recommend

[LuvNewcastle]

14. Kick for Friday morning. n/t

[BelgianMadCow]

15. Thanks for the kick

I hadn't missed it, but am glad to see it again

[LuvNewcastle]

18. I didn't see the article until I was reading another thread and I saw that woo me with science

linked to it. It's an important post, and I hope it gets some love instead of all the pointless Christie threads.

[El_Johns]

16. What a surprise.

[pampango]

19. Interesting provisions on labor rights, environment and currency manipulation

Updates Labor and Environment:

Updated provisions reflect the United States’ most recent trade agreements, to require trading partners to adopt, maintain, and not waive or derogate from measures implementing internationally recognized core labor standards in a manner affecting trade and investment and multilateral environmental agreements to which the United States is a party, with the same dispute settlement and remedies as for other enforceable obligations.

Updates Negotiating Objectives for the 21st Century:

Addresses Currency Manipulation: New negotiating objective for the first time directs that trade partners avoid
manipulating exchange rates, such as through cooperative mechanisms, enforceable rules, reporting, monitoring,
transparency, or other means, as appropriate.

Protects U.S. Sovereignty:

New provisions affirm that trade agreements cannot change U.S. law without Congressional action.

http://www.finance.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/TPA%20One%20Pager.pdf

[solarhydrocan]

20. since the TPP is part of both parties platforms

and Obama, Kerry and Biden all support it and have been "working" on it for the past months- It's a done deal.

Many will forget the sellout, just like many forgot Baucus and his arresting single payer doctors and nurses at a hearing.

Disgusting.

[madokie]

21. Max Baucus and Orrin Hatch

are both way past their due date.
ACA as good as it is could have been much better if not for one Max fucking Baucus. I'll always believe that.
He's going to go out giving us another good fucking with this looks like.
f* him

[Enthusiast]

22. This should have hundreds of recommendations!

As if we haven't lost enough jobs to these fucking bad trade deals.

[woo me with science]

23. Just spent a half-hour scanning news channels for any mention whatsoever

of this forthcoming gutting of our wages, standard of living, and Constitutional sovereignty and protections.

None. Zero. Nada. Nothing.

It's all breathlessness by plastic smiling dolls about a traffic jam four months ago and one Republican who will step aside for Jeb Bush.

We are played like fools.

[G_j]

25. of course

the people are too "stupid" to need to know this news.

[woo me with science]

38. How on earth did we come to this?

It's Idiocracy for the masses, run by corporate puppeteers.

[Doctor_J]

39. Let's see...who benefits from TPP? Huge multinationals. Who owns Cabal News?

the same huge multinationals! The most finely tuned crime syndicate in history.

[woo me with science]

50. "Cabal news."

I will have to use that.

[woo me with science]

24. K&R And not a mention on corporate news...

[Freddie Stubbs]

27. Bloomberg doesn't qualify as corporate news?

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-01-09/congressional-deal-reached-on-obama-trade-talks-authority.html

[Freddie Stubbs]

28. Reuters doesn't qualify as corporate news?

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/01/09/usa-trade-congress-idUSL2N0KJ1P920140109

[Freddie Stubbs]

29. The Wall Street Journal doesn't qualify as corporate news?

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303393804579310722872103450

[Freddie Stubbs]

30. The New York Times doesn't qualify as corporate news?

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303393804579310722872103450

[woo me with science]

31. How cute you think you are.

Try reading the post above, genius.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=4309402

[Freddie Stubbs]

32. The Washington Post doesn't qualify as corporate news?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/bill-key-to-obama-trade-push-faces-dem-opposition/2014/01/09/ad706a96-798c-11e3-a647-a19deaf575b3_story.html

[woo me with science]

35. Adorable.

Did you find the post yet?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=4309402

By the way, what's YOUR opinion of this vicious betrayal by our Third Way President and his friends on Wall Street?

[woo me with science]

40. Oh, look, here you are. This is Freddie Stubbs on the TPP:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=3457074

Freddie Stubbs (28,785 posts)
41. Simple. The FTA's are not as terrible as their detractors claim

And that's about as much content as I have been able to find in ANY of your posts heckling those concerned about this assault by a Third Way President and Wall Street on wages, jobs, internet freedom, the Constitution, and national sovereignty.

And the absurd campaign of corporate propaganda continues....
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=4264883

[Kingofalldems]

41. You could have combined all your responses into one post.

Pretty disrespectful toward a DUer who disagrees with you. Also quite disruptive I would say.

[ChiciB1]

26. And So It Goes!

Sucks, but we do seem to be on the way to getting screwed AGAIN! Write, call, do whatever. Just not sure ANYTHING is going to stop it.

MOST who don't follow politics don't have a clue about any of this. And when they do they'll say "how did this happen" and I'll say... Well gee, once again too many people didn't bother to find out, or listen or do anything about it.

More & more, it's the American people who don't have enough time because of work, or just don't bother to care.

It is "we the people" and too little attention by "we the people!"

And so it goes!

[Doctor_J]

34. Well, all the Dems are against it, and the president is a Dem, so maybe....

[woo me with science]

36. Did you hear? He's pushing the theme of INCOME EQUALITY during the ELECTION YEAR!

He's pushing income inequality, all right...

[ChiciB1]

43. Why Ain't That Just Dandy???

See I kind of always thought that ACTIONS spoke louder than words. However, down here where I live, I not only can't get ANY action... I also Can't Get No Satisfaction!

And moving along with the same theme, al la Boomers... Can't Always Get What You Want, But You Just Might Get What What You Need!

Unfortunately that was just sooooooo long ago! Can ya feel me? Anyone out there? Anyone care?

OKAY, I'll stop with the stupid stuff. Not even making ME feel better!

[ChiciB1]

42. Well, THAT Comment Just Made Me Feel...

all warm & fuzzy! Just peachy too???

[Doctor_J]

33. But it's the liberals' fault!

All of you pro-labor, pro-living wage, enviromentalists better get out and vote in November because...it could be worse, or something.

[woo me with science]

37. I know! Republicans would NOT ONLY gut jobs, wages, the Constitution, and national sovereignty

just like Obama.....

...but they might make you get a transvaginal ultrasound, too.

THANK GOODNESS FOR OBAMA AND THE THIRD WAY!!!!!111!!!!

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

44. Not to worry. Our occasionally "liberal" president will surely veto it.

Won't he?

[Populist_Prole]

45. K&R. Given the intense polarization and gridlock between the two parties now

It's interesting that when it comes to this ( or any other ) FTA / Corporate giveaway; the two parties not only agree: They are as anti-gridlock minded and determined "to get things done" as could be. I wonder why this is?

[woo me with science]

46. kick

[LuvNewcastle]

47. K&R

[me b zola]

48. K&R

[X_Digger]

49. K&R n/t

[uppityperson]

53. Who or which party would you suggest backing?