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Senate salvages Obama trade agenda

TheDemSocialist

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The Senate narrowly agreed Tuesday to salvage President Barack Obama’s trade agenda, after several Democrats sided with GOP leaders to break a filibuster on standalone fast-track trade legislation.
The vote to advance the bill clears the way for Trade Promotion Authority legislation to become law by the end of the week. The House has already cleared the legislation and final passage is expected in the Senate by Wednesday.


The tight vote came as Democrats wavered on whether to trust Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) to follow through on a joint pledge to shepherd into law both the fast-track bill, dubbed Trade Promotion Authority, and a measure to help laid-off workers known as Trade Adjustment Assistance. TPA will allow Obama to complete the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal, but Democrats have long insisted that it be accompanied by TAA, which provides aid and job training for workers who lose their jobs to trade.


Read more: Senate salvages Obama trade agenda - Burgess Everett and Seung Min Kim - POLITICO

Well. It looks like once again we will shoot ourselves in the foot. The final passage is expected on Wednesday by the Senate, then it will be off to Obama to be signed into law.
 
Am I to understand it hasn't even been made public? Our Congress really hates the American people.
 
Am I to understand it hasn't even been made public? Our Congress really hates the American people.

There is no trade deal at the moment, so there is nothing to make public. This bill only authorizes the President to negotiate a trade deal and then to send that trade deal to Congress for a straight up, thumbs up v thumps down, vote. The intent of this type of authorization is to help build trust amongst the other countries which are negotiating this deal because they can rest assured that the deal, once it gets agreed upon, can only be approved or rejected on the whole - as opposed to risking the various trade partners going back to their respective legislative bodies and then having those legislative bodies accept/reject different sections and thus, prolonging the trade negotiations almost indefinitely.
 
There is no trade deal at the moment, so there is nothing to make public.

There is no 100% final deal. However there are many provisions within the deal that have been agreed to. We have seen some of these provisions via leaks, and they are not good.

This bill only authorizes the President to negotiate a trade deal and then to send that trade deal
He has already been apart of the negotiations and already has been.

The intent of this type of authorization is to help build trust amongst the other countries which are negotiating this deal because they can rest assured that the deal, once it gets agreed upon, can only be approved or rejected on the whole - as opposed to risking the various trade partners going back to their respective legislative bodies and then having those legislative bodies accept/reject different sections and thus, prolonging the trade negotiations almost indefinitely.
I understand the "intent", but how is the deal good for American workers? Who does the deal favor?
 
Unfortunate development, looks like big business wins again.
 
Who does the deal favor?

those who purchased it. they'll probably even let them write the deal themselves.

it's sad when reality resembles CT, but in this case, it really does.
 
On the plus side, China and Russia will now become besties.
 
Obama is in bed with the GOP and they are sharing each others stink. This is just crazy town.

The dems crossover and agree NOT because they agree with the trade legislation, but because there is a promise of free government handouts if/when this blows up in our face.

What a ****in country.
 
Just how much did each of these politicians get paid off for this?

Obama might be a trillionaire.

Does everybody feel that New World Order coming?
 
Those damn obstructionist Republicans blocking President Obama's agenda yet again. Oh wait - never mind.
 
Obama gets his anti-climate, anti-worker, anti-consumer, and secretive trade agenda through the Senate. US Corpocracy. It figures. There's nothing socialist in there... He's following a rightist agenda. Why would Republicans block that?
 
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