McConnell Sets Trade Promotion Authority Endgame in Motion

[cali]

After a series of dueling objections, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell moved Tuesday evening to limit debate on the Trade Promotion Authority bill that’s a top priority for himself and President Barack Obama, but the endgame was far from clear.

By moving to invoke cloture, the Kentucky Republican has set a key vote on the package that combines “fast-track” trade authority and Trade Adjustment Assistance for Thursday morning, but what happens then is far from certain. Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., had cautioned against truncating the debate without considering lots of amendments, though the two parties were sparring throughout the afternoon about the process.

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One issue did appear on track for resolution as of later in the day Tuesday, however. Democratic Sens. Robert Menendez of New Jersey and Ron Wyden of Oregon worked to craft language to provide a process for narrow exceptions to the language in the trade bill authored by Menendez regarding human trafficking.

“I want to thank Sen. Wyden for helping to develop compromise language that has preserved the full intent of the amendment,” Menendez said on the floor. “And I want to thank all of the human rights and trafficking groups who have come forward, worked hard, helped draw attention to the problem, and provided a new public mechanism to hold this administration – or any Administration – accountable for their efforts to end human trafficking around the world – and not reward the very worst human traffickers with access to our markets.”

The Obama administration is supporting the Menendez-Wyden revisions, though merely introducing the amendment is no guarantee of success. An administration official said that the president would continue to consult with lawmakers “to ensure that the final bill is consistent with the President’s commitment to only sign trade agreements that put in place historic new protections for human rights, environmental, and labor standards and level the playing field for our workers.”

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http://blogs.rollcall.com/wgdb/mcconnell-sets-trade-promotion-authority-endgame/?dcz=

[djean111]

1. Since I personally cannot do anything to stop Fast Track/TPP/TTIP - at least I will have a handy

list of politicians that I will never support again, ever. That include politicians who worked on it and shilled it and praised it in their last book.

For the record, I believe that absolutely none of the feel-good stuff like "Ending Human Trafficking!!!!!" will ever be investigated, much less enforced. Bunch of ass-covering bullshit. And voting yes on or signing off on something that take from Medicare to pay for TPP-caused job losses? I don't know what is more disgusting, doing that, or standing there and saying this thing will mean more and better jobs for Americans with a straight face.

[cali]

2. I agree, child labor, abuse of labor leader, human trafficking, slave labor

will not be enforced- that much is clear both historically and with what didn't make it into TPA.