Breaking: Leading House Democrat Will Oppose TPP Fast Track

[eridani]

Source: The Nation

Van Hollen opposed a previous iteration of fast-track legislation last year, as did most other top Democrats, including Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. But so far, many of those Democrats (including Van Hollen) had not yet announced a position on the new TPA legislation being hammered out by Senators Ron Wyden, Orrin Hatch, and Representative Paul Ryan. (Levin opted out of those talks, and believes Congress should see at least the outline of a trade deal before taking up legislation to fast-track its approval.) Pelosi still remains publicly undecided.

If Van Hollen—a visible member of the Democratic caucus and ranking member of a major committee—ultimately supported the Wyden-Hatch-Ryan bill, it would have been a signal that House Democrats were ready to go along with the Obama administration’s trade agenda. But in his letter, Van Hollen wrote “it is clear that many [of my concerns] will not be included in a revised TPA.”

Read more: http://www.thenation.com/blog/204185/breaking-leading-house-democrat-will-oppose-tpp-fast-track

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Keep those calls and letters coming, people!

[Punx]

1. I Called

Senator Wyden's office this morning. Also sent a letter the week before.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. Good for you, Punx!

Welcome to DU!

I'm glad you're here.

[Punx]

5. Thank you

My wife's an engineer. The manufacturing she supported (High Tech) was moved to China several years ago along with her job. We have yet to significantly replace that income. She currently teaches math part time at a local college.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

7. That's horrible. I hate that our jobs are moving abroad.

Good luck to you both.

[GoneFishin]

17. Me too. I also hate that those same companies bring their products back here to benefit from U.S.

consumer market. In any day-to-day interaction if someone told you that you were not needed so go pound sand, what would your reaction be if they came back to you asking for a favor?

[F4lconF16]

4. Oh hey there!

Welcome to DU, noob

[calimary]

12. Welcome to DU, Punx!

Great to have you with us! Excellent activist work! Essential activist work, is more like it. We all need to weigh in on these issues! Whether you have friendly representation OR NOT. If you're in enemy hands, then that individual STILL needs to know how you feel, and that it isn't 100% rubber-stamp approval from the voters that individual purports to represent. He or she represents YOU, TOO. And you deserve to be able to let them know. And if the majority of voters in your district or your state feel differently than such a rep does (as happened during the Iraq War, for example), I think it helps to pile the pressure on. At least make it less comfortable for such a rep to stay entrenched in those contrary views. Make 'em have to defend it. Make 'em have to OWN it.

[PADemD]

2. I called Senator Wyden's office today.

He was receiving many calls, and I was put on hold for he next available person.

[davidpdx]

15. I'm going to call now and leave a message

[arcane1]

6. Who can we call? I'm in!!

[appalachiablue]

8. Thanks to Chris Van Hollen of MD, the brain, totally sharp. And others-

[eridani]

9. What we can expect if this passes

[elleng]

10. Sounds good AND

sounds like he's trying to add to his chits in support of his run for the Senate, against MD progressive Donna Edwards.

[midnight]

11. kick

[DeSwiss]

13. A Wall Street disposal drone.......

...will be along to disconnect him from his campaign nourishment tubes directly. The next few moments are critical. He'll either survive and live to fight another day, or drown and become nourishment for others.

- As those are the only choices in this system......



K&R

[Scuba]

14. This should not be newsworthy, but sadly it is.

[swilton]

16. This is what Democrats do

when they are forced to move left by competition from the left.

Van Hollen is running in a primary against two Progressive Caucus House members - Donna Edwards and Elijah Cummings.

[eridani]

18. Good. I am a long-time Edwards supporter, but if the other candidates have to run left--

--so much the better.