Harry Reid offers plan to break the "FTA" Trade Impasse--Willing to Cut a Deal

[KoKo]

Senator’s strategy follows the rejection of Obama’s initiative by Democrats.
By Burgess Everett and Manu Raju5/12/15 10:32 AM EDT

Hours after Democrats rejected a core piece of President Barack’s Obama’s trade initiative, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid is floating a plan to find a way out of the impasse.

After demanding that Republicans bundle four separate trade bills — and accommodate his party’s demands for more worker protections — Reid (D-Nev.) is now privately saying that he’d be willing to move the package of trade bills even if it didn’t include language designed to prevent currency manipulation by other countries, according to people familiar with the situation.

Under Reid’s strategy, the currency plan would also get a stand-alone vote, something Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) were discussing Tuesday afternoon. On Tuesday, Schumer offered to remove the currency plan in a conversation with Reid.

Senior Republicans said they were skeptical of Reid’s proposal, but acknowledged talks were ongoing.

The currency manipulation provision is considered a poison pill by Republicans and is not supported by the administration, so removing it from the larger package could help the Senate overcome Tuesday’s partisan deadlock. The provision could force the White House to designate China as a currency manipulator, which the administration fears would spark a trade war with Beijing.

The liberal, anti-trade wing of the Democratic party joined with pro-trade moderates to block fast-track legislation, 52-45, in an effort to force Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to swallow additional demands early Tuesday. Democrats want the Senate to pass new worker protections and child labor restrictions, in addition to the fast-track trade bill McConnell and Obama are pushing for.

Hours after Democrats rejected a core piece of President Barack’s Obama’s trade initiative, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid is floating a plan to find a way out of the impasse.

Under Reid’s strategy, the currency plan would also get a stand-alone vote, something Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) were discussing Tuesday afternoon. On Tuesday, Schumer offered to remove the currency plan in a conversation with Reid.


Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2015/05/trade-vote-senate-mitch-mcconnell-117850.html#ixzz3Zy9q0tnt

[TheKentuckian]

1. Weaseling around quick for another bite of the apple, time to ramp up the heat some more.

[Autumn]

2. What happened to good old Harry's "Hell no"?

[Maedhros]

3. NO DEALS WITHOUT FULL DISCLOSURE. [n/t]

[cali]

4. calm down, read carefully, his hell no is still there

It's Harry who was responsible for the tactics that defeated the procedural vote today. I actually think Reid is quite canny about this kind of tactical stuff.

[tritsofme]

5. TPA was always going to pass the Senate. The little spat today was inconsequential.

The prospects for passage in the House are much more uncertain.

[cali]

6. Until today's vote I would have agreed with you

now I'm not so sure. I think the odds still favor it- but only slightly.

[delrem]

7. What a surprise!

Now they'll put some pasties on it and call it clothed.

[nationalize the fed]

8. Kabuki Theatre

Wherein the Citizens cheer their "side" whilst the Players dance.

Can't just pass something like this the first time. Elections are at stake!

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid is floating a plan to find a way out of the impasse.

Oh Hell NO! ROFL One may remember when Harry Reid said "The ACA has a Public Insurance Option!"



When the curtain drops, this will pass, after appropriate blame is distributed around enough so as to not hurt anyone too much. TPA Squeaks by 60-40! It was a done deal long ago. Hope I'm wrong.

Few will remember anything about this in 6-8 months anyway, except maybe those that lose their jobs to 40cent per hour Vietnamese workers. And just yesterday "we" were carpet bombing them. How time flies.