Obama trade agenda wins Senate round, but House fights loom
CHARLES BABINGTON, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama's trade agenda narrowly passed an initial Senate test late Wednesday, but many fellow Democrats hope to stop it in the House.

The Senate Finance Committee endorsed Obama's request for "fast track" legislation, which would renew presidential authority to present trade deals that Congress can endorse or reject but not amend. If the House and Senate eventually comply, Obama is likely to ask them to approve the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership, which involves Japan, Canada and Mexico, but not China. Other trade proposals could follow.

Liberals, labor unions and other groups bitterly oppose these trade measures, saying they would hurt U.S. jobs.

They lost a round Wednesday. The Finance Committee narrowly defeated a "currency manipulation" measure that Obama aides said would unravel the Pacific Rim deal. Votes for and against the provision were about evenly divided between Republicans and Democrats, highlighting the unusual — and possibly tenuous — political alignments on trade.

The committee later voted 20-6 to pass the fast track bill. The only committee Republican voting no was Sen. Richard Burr of North Carolina.

Republican Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch said fast track approval promises "high standard" trade deals in the future.

The House dives into the debate Thursday, when the Ways and Means Committee takes up similar fast track legislation. The panel's top Democrat, Rep. Sander Levin of Michigan, opposes the Obama-backed version. House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi endorsed Levin's alternative bill, even as Republicans warned that the White House must bring a few dozen House Democrats on board.

By contrast, Sen. Ron Wyden, the Senate Finance Committee's top Democrat, backs the fast track bill.

Few issues divide Democrats more than trade. Obama, like former President Bill Clinton, supports free trade, but many Democratic lawmakers do not.

Clinton's and Obama's stands — and liberal groups' opposition — pose a dilemma for Hillary Rodham Clinton, the former first lady now seeking the presidency herself. Campaigning this week in New Hampshire, she declined to say whether she supports the Pacific Rim proposal.

Rivals in both parties mocked her. But Obama seems likely to remain the focus of much ire, especially from fellow Democrats.

Obama says his Democratic opponents have their facts wrong. He said Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts is among those "wrong" on the issue.

Warren responded with a blog entry saying "the government doesn't want you to read this massive new trade agreement. It's top secret."

Obama and his trade allies reject such claims. They say fast track and other trade proposals have been carefully negotiated and will undergo public scrutiny for months before final votes take place.

Their biggest scare Wednesday came when Republican Sen. Rob Portman urged the Finance Committee to direct U.S. trade officials to take tougher stands against nations that allegedly keep their currency artificially low. The practice can boost exports by making local products more affordable to foreigners. Economists disagree on whether China and other nations engage in the practice.

Obama administration officials said attempts to crack down on currency manipulation can backfire and ignite trade wars. They said Portman's proposal "could derail" the Pacific Rim negotiations. The Finance Committee rejected Portman's amendment, 15 to 11.

Senate Finance members added a broader currency manipulation amendment, by Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York, to a customs bill. But Schumer did not offer it on the fast track bill, where it would have been more problematic for Obama.

The Finance Committee's actions Wednesday were delayed for hours because liberal Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, invoked an often-ignored Senate scheduling rule in protest. "This job-killing trade deal has been negotiated in secret," said Sanders, who made a lengthy Senate speech denouncing the legislation.

The trade debate turns to the House on Thursday. Rep. Tom Cole, R-Oklahoma, estimates that about 180 to 200 House Republicans will vote for fast track, along with 15 to 30 Democrats. "This is the president's initiative," Cole said. "He's going to have to work his side of the aisle pretty hard."

The low end of Cole's estimate would leave Obama short of a majority in the 435-seat House.


-- (c) Associated Press 2015-04-23

This has little to nothing to do with trade. The US already has trade agreements in place with these countries. It is about outsourcing jobs, empowering Wall Street criminals and banksters even more, censoring the internet and multi-national corporation control of the world. Anybody that supports TPP and the other secret trade agreements is traitor to the working/middle class. It destroys the sovereign rights of the US. The reason the so-called trade agreements are secret is that anybody that sees the entire "agreement" will not support it, that is unless they are a plutocrat and/or a corporate stooge, read Obama, Hillary etc. It will help America's slide into a 3rd world country.

Here is a quick article by the NY Times. I've much, much more and in more detail. This secret corporate deal is a loser for workers in every country just as the rest of the secret corporate deals. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/22/opinion/obama-and-republicans-agree-on-the-trans-pacific-partnership-unfortunately.html?_r=0

The TPP is hair raising. This is Orwellian with no holds barred stuff. It has taken Wikki leaks to have even any idea of what the agreement entails and it is one more enormous leap for a global banking-corporatist global take over. And it is none of your business as you cannot see it but you will be living under it for a long time. The next part of it suckers Europe into being what may end up being a literal global slave state, but this is Pacific rim countries for now.

Obama and the "leaders" of Japan, Vietnam, Malaysia, Australia, Peru, Singapore, Chile, Mexico, and Canada it seems are without even blinking agreeing to let banks and corporations take enormous strides in the control over peoples lives under the guise of a trade agreement that hardly anyone is allowed to read, including the senators who voted on it. Even TPP supportive corporations have little info or access to what this sweeping and draconian can and will do.

According to one report I read, individuals will no longer be able develop patents or any technology. Anything done along these lines will be confiscated and property of TPP. Very few people know, because nobody has read the agreement. Obama says people are misinformed. Well, duH! We aren't allowed to read the blinking thing! Has he even read it, I doubt it. He says just sign and fast track it so that other better deals can be done in the future.

Member states laws and governance will be overridden by the TPP from what is in the leaked portions.

Other leaked portions suggest It involves the end of free speech on internet, via the copyright infrinegment laws, use of company names, and I would guess even ceo names in internet posts may come under copy right infringement laws. Mention a coporation's name in an internet post and you are infringing on copy rights. They will have the policing, or so they say, in place to lock people out of the internet altogether, in a new internet wide three strikes policy for commiting these and other breaches.

I have heard/read opponents say that the agreement also makes it impossible for participating countries to try cases against corporations in their own court rooms. The cases will be tried before an appointed TPP tribunal. You would not be able to pass a referendum in your local area that went against anything that a corporation or bank wanted to do. There would be no recourse based on the law in your area.

There are only 4 of many many chapters that have been leaked to the public. But what we do know suggests the rest of will constitute something along the lines of a crime against humanity. Hyperbole? That's exactly the ruse, that of plausible deniability, no one will listen to anyone who speaks out on it as it is simply unbelievable.

By fast tracking the agreement, basically, Congress, the Senate, the President may well be fast tracking half the world down the river without even taking a few minutes to read what they are doing. Gotta keep it movin! Fast track it bub!

A post with a link to an unapproved site has been removed.

OK, I know some probably disapprove of everything Noam Chomsky says, but I think on TPP etc. he is right. These (not) trade deals done in more secrecy than the CIA has will deal a death blow to many freedoms we think we have a right to. http://www.truthdig.com/avbooth/print/noam_chomsky_every_word_in_the_phrase_free_trade_agreement_false_20150422 The fat cats in the Senate passed Fast Track, it is now up to an unlikely coalition of not so cowardly Democrats and teabaggers in the House to stop it. If Fast Track is not stopped, all the corporate deals will pass without anybody having a clue as to what is in them. Can we say "bribery"? There is enough already leaked to know the only ones benefiting are multi-national corporations and repressive governments.

Inflammatory post and reply removed.

OK, I know some probably disapprove of everything Noam Chomsky says, but I think on TPP etc. he is right. These (not) trade deals done in more secrecy than the CIA has will deal a death blow to many freedoms we think we have a right to. http://www.truthdig.com/avbooth/print/noam_chomsky_every_word_in_the_phrase_free_trade_agreement_false_20150422 The fat cats in the Senate passed Fast Track, it is now up to an unlikely coalition of not so cowardly Democrats and teabaggers in the House to stop it. If Fast Track is not stopped, all the corporate deals will pass without anybody having a clue as to what is in them. Can we say "bribery"? There is enough already leaked to know the only ones benefiting are multi-national corporations and repressive governments.

Fascinating; while acknowledging Chomsky's linguistic genius (with a minor exception regarding language formation) I have disagreed on nearly everything political he has ever said. Indeed, his fame is as a linguist and he abused that to peddle his leftist ideology. Yet I agree today with everything he is commenting on. Perhaps this issue is so dangerous that even those like Noam and I can meet in the middle. The continued slide into this virtual state of government which really only exists as representative in shadows further reduces human being to products of capital from birth to death. Today is no less than the successful evolution of the East India Trading Company and Mayar Amschel's vision.

I will not wander into speculative areas that could easily be called conspiracy theories. However, I will note the patently obvious: These regional trade agreements mirror other regional supra and intra national agreements that by virtue of treaties and executive agreements supersede nation states; these treaties in turn increasingly bind military to shared exercises, police cooperation, etc. This patchwork of global regional agreements have inherent in their creation the means to knit the quilt when ready. This is global corporatacracy at its most transparent.

Often people come to the same conclusion from different directions. A telling point and certainly one that the world should pay attention to.

Awesome post Arjuna Dawn.

The only thing good about TPP is that so much that has been called paranoia, "conspiracy theory" etc. is now becoming glaringly obviously a reality.

If you think this issue is important, call your congressman at the very least. They are yet to vote on fast tracking this. Fast tracking was first put into effect by Nixon and was used to ram through the World Trade Organization among other things. It is unconstitutional, not that that seems to bother anyone anymore.

Even if you don't know about the legislation, the US government needs to be called out for approving things they aren't even allowed to read even the large print, let alone not allowed to see the fine print. It's just corruption and irresponsibility at the lowest level by "elected" officials.

As to what people don't agree with Chomsky on, I think he was mainly on about how a global corporate media monopoly effectively will make a democratic world impossible. He was talking about this in the 80's, no? Don't know what there is much to argue with there, seems pretty obvious this has come to pass in spades.

Thanks to both Shaunduhpostman and arjunadawn for outstanding posts. Here is a bit more on the corporate deal. Bernie Sanders has my vote for President, click on the link, it's 30 min. but well worth the listen. http://www.workinglife.org/2015/01/29/the-white-houses-10-big-lies-to-congress-about-the-tpp/ http://kos.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=DgkASre%2BOgf5sox4tbiQ247IsmHNBMVF

How is it even possible that the American public will sit by and watch this pass? Why are they not so outraged that they are literally hounding their congressmen and senators about this everyday ?I mean who is the master and who is the servant?

Now We Know Why Huge TPP Trade Deal Is Kept Secret From the Public

The TPP has 29 "chapters" covering various issues, but only five of these chapters cover what would normally be considered "trade."

The WikiLeaks analysis explains that this lets firms "sue" governments to obtain taxpayer compensation for loss of "expected future profits."

Let that sink in for a moment: "[C]ompanies and investors would be empowered to challenge regulations, rules, government actions and court rulings -- federal, state or local -- before tribunals...."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dave-johnson/now-we-know-why-huge-tpp_b_6956540.html

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

I'm sure there are many reasons Americans are doing nothing. One would be, because that is what they usually do, aside from vent at protests or riots. Another would be that most have never even heard of the TPP and many still would fail to recognize what it could mean. Another would be that there is little to no leadership to help them act constructively to marshall opposition. The government has become so corrupt so quickly that . Another would be is tat push has not yet come to shove

How is it even possible that the American public will sit by and watch this pass? Why are they not so outraged that they are literally hounding their congressmen and senators about this everyday ? alt=blink.png>I mean who is the master and who is the servant? width=20 alt=crazy.gif>

Now We Know Why Huge TPP Trade Deal Is Kept Secret From the Public

The TPP has 29 "chapters" covering various issues, but only five of these chapters cover what would normally be considered "trade."

The WikiLeaks analysis explains that this lets firms "sue" governments to obtain taxpayer compensation for loss of "expected future profits."

Let that sink in for a moment: "[C]ompanies and investors would be empowered to challenge regulations, rules, government actions and court rulings -- federal, state or local -- before tribunals...."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dave-johnson/now-we-know-why-huge-tpp_b_6956540.html

There are many reasons people are doing nothing, or not much of much. The main one would be that people aren't even aware of the TPP. Secondly even if they were, they may not be able to understand the possible implications or even be indredulous and brush it off as conspiracy theory. Another is simply that Americans don't have terribly stellar record in terms of standing up for their rights, the civil rights movement being a notable exception. Another would be that we are indoctrinated to believe that we have a government and laws to protect us from something like this, so we just have to vote for the right people and things will be cleared up. Its hard to wake up to the fact that things have changed drastically and that my brothers keeper is being paid off by the corporations to quickly get this TPP legislation passed and that that is their priority to answer to their bosses and get done what they want done, not to us whom they were sworn in to uphold and take care of. Finally, too few people care. Too many frankly don't care if they live in a police state or that their life is owned by the TPP or whatever it is. I have friends in America whose parents were very actively involved in the civil rights movement etc. These friends themselves are and have been very active on issues from the environment, to anti-racism, to feminism, but they chuckle and say, "Oh you know, it's always been a fascist state we live in since the National Security Act was created, there there my man calm down, why do you care?" I always say, you have no idea and no right to say you live in a fascist dictatorship just yet, but enough people who know better just brush it off and stick to their narrow concerns, they are spent trying to work, take care of families and work on certain issues in their spare time, but they are sort of out of energy beyond any of that. Unfortunately, people need to have concrete things happen to them thatthey really don't like and need to recognize what it is and where it is coming from. Before that they will do little to nothing about it. You can't just say x,y,z will happen in the future if you don't act now to prevent it. Unfortunately, xyz has to actually happen and unfortunately soetime those thinsg are irreverseable.

Asiantravel, I couldn't agree more. The American people have turned into sheeple. The main (lame) stream media is owned and controled by the very people that want this and the other secret corporate deals in progress hence the news blackout. I think in many ways the American people have just given up. Like many people in many countries, they no longer believe they control their lives and are willing to do and/or ignore anything just to keep a roof overhead.

Asiantravel, I couldn't agree more. The American people have turned into sheeple. The main (lame) stream media is owned and controled by the very people that want this and the other secret corporate deals in progress hence the news blackout. I think in many ways the American people have just given up. Like many people in many countries, they no longer believe they control their lives and are willing to do and/or ignore anything just to keep a roof overhead.

“ America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms it will be because we destroyed ourselves”

Abraham Lincoln

How is it even possible that the American public will sit by and watch this pass? Why are they not so outraged that they are literally hounding their congressmen and senators about this everyday ?I mean who is the master and who is the servant?

Now We Know Why Huge TPP Trade Deal Is Kept Secret From the Public

The TPP has 29 "chapters" covering various issues, but only five of these chapters cover what would normally be considered "trade."

The WikiLeaks analysis explains that this lets firms "sue" governments to obtain taxpayer compensation for loss of "expected future profits."

Let that sink in for a moment: "[C]ompanies and investors would be empowered to challenge regulations, rules, government actions and court rulings -- federal, state or local -- before tribunals...."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dave-johnson/now-we-know-why-huge-tpp_b_6956540.html

The reason is as obvious as it is timeless- when there is no vested interest in the affairs of state the people can be duped. When there is no ownership in the conduct of life and state the people have vote, but no investment. When the vote became pure democracy, the Democratic process of the representative republic became nothing more than mob rule. All it takes is a loud screaming minority to cave in the dubious majority. All it takes is a simple majority to vote away the labor and fruits of the minority. America is now a country of thieves stealing from each other under increasingly ridiculous rationales; the young from the old, the old from the young, posterity, the globe, all under the color of entitlement, victimization, reparation, and "I deserve it." Emersonesque Self-Reliance is such an alien concept to the majority of Americans that the simple assertion would be seen as alien, retrograde, conservative, and seditious..

America is now no more than takers, and those giving do so by coercion and duress, the nation exists as nothing more than a redistributive mill, all the while power and wealth amassing in smaller and smaller entities. Various trade agreements do nothing more than further equalize workers income- Americans and the third world!

It is not possible to call America the Land of the Free; it is a lie (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPKUUH7ytUo. It is not possible to call America a Land of Opportunity (

). It is not true to call America a Land of Immigrants (

); this too is a lie because it is a land of criminals, not migrants. When asked how/why America would stand by and allow this or that realize America does not exist anymore. What exists is hundreds of millions of people calculating how bad its gonna get and how soon! There is no real collective sense of a growing pain or evolution; its self evident to Americans their nation is dying.

(Full Disclosure: I am American).

How is it even possible that the American public will sit by and watch this pass? Why are they not so outraged that they are literally hounding their congressmen and senators about this everyday ?I mean who is the master and who is the servant?

Now We Know Why Huge TPP Trade Deal Is Kept Secret From the Public

The TPP has 29 "chapters" covering various issues, but only five of these chapters cover what would normally be considered "trade."

The WikiLeaks analysis explains that this lets firms "sue" governments to obtain taxpayer compensation for loss of "expected future profits."

Let that sink in for a moment: "[C]ompanies and investors would be empowered to challenge regulations, rules, government actions and court rulings -- federal, state or local -- before tribunals...."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dave-johnson/now-we-know-why-huge-tpp_b_6956540.html

The reason is as obvious as it is timeless- when there is no vested interest in the affairs of state the people can be duped. When there is no ownership in the conduct of life and state the people have vote, but no investment. When the vote became pure democracy, the Democratic process of the representative republic became nothing more than mob rule. All it takes is a loud screaming minority to cave in the dubious majority. All it takes is a simple majority to vote away the labor and fruits of the minority. America is now a country of thieves stealing from each other under increasingly ridiculous rationales; the young from the old, the old from the young, posterity, the globe, all under the color of entitlement, victimization, reparation, and "I deserve it." Emersonesque Self-Reliance is such an alien concept to the majority of Americans that the simple assertion would be seen as alien, retrograde, conservative, and seditious..

America is now no more than takers, and those giving do so by coercion and duress, the nation exists as nothing more than a redistributive mill, all the while power and wealth amassing in smaller and smaller entities. Various trade agreements do nothing more than further equalize workers income- Americans and the third world!

It is not possible to call America the Land of the Free; it is a lie (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPKUUH7ytUo. It is not possible to call America a Land of Opportunity (

). It is not true to call America a Land of Immigrants (

); this too is a lie because it is a land of criminals, not migrants. When asked how/why America would stand by and allow this or that realize America does not exist anymore. What exists is hundreds of millions of people calculating how bad its gonna get and how soon! There is no real collective sense of a growing pain or evolution; its self evident to Americans their nation is dying.

(Full Disclosure: I am American).

I'm not even American but your post makes even me angry why the 99% failed to appreciate what they had and didn't nip this trend in the bud ages ago. Technology has given them such easy and instant access to so much information and equally important history to see what happened when citizens of other countries in the past ignored warning signs which ultimately led to totalitarian regimes.

You and I will have to agree to disagree arjunadawn and I do respect your knowledge. I will agree that it is not the land of the free, nor the land of opportunity, but unless you are an American Indian you and your ancestors are immigrants. Most immigrants are not criminals and they work hard, harder than Americans would in jobs Americans would not do, I've seen that. Yes it is a land of criminals, they work on Wall Street, banks, in corporations, in Congress. Nobody built anything or became a success on his/her on, Obama was right. As far as the right wing cartoon statement about "entitlements" that is cruel propaganda and a lie. SS etc. is NOT an entitlement nor is food stamps or "welfare". I worked for my Social Security, my Medicare,(that I can't use), my pensions and you well know our Veterans benefits are damn well hard earned. This nation, while never perfect still stood for taking care of each other. Unions made this country, not the robber barons. We pay taxes to help those that can't for whatever reason take care of themselves. I used food stamps and Aid for Dependent Children to climb out of a hole and still could not have done it without help from friends. People paid taxes to put the people back to work during the Depression building much of what we still drive on/over (crumbling). Where is FDR now that we so desperately need him again? We pay taxes for our police, fire, rescue, etc. The rich and corporations do not and have not paid their fair share for many years. Going all the way back to President Eisenhower, the last sane Republican president, he would disagree with you. America doesn't have a deficit problem, it has an income problem due to the tax cuts to the corporations, the rich and un-financed wars. The "welfare queen" is a racist, right wing lie disproved many years ago. This nation was not built for corporations it was built for people, all people.

Asiantravel, I couldn't agree more. The American people have turned into sheeple. The main (lame) stream media is owned and controled by the very people that want this and the other secret corporate deals in progress hence the news blackout. I think in many ways the American people have just given up. Like many people in many countries, they no longer believe they control their lives and are willing to do and/or ignore anything just to keep a roof overhead.

but just hang on a minute! It looks like some Americans are starting to take a closer interest...

“It took me about I month to study the history of the world and to learn the history and inner workings of American jurisprudence, literally.

“All that the people need is a proper education, free of propaganda and lies - and I'm working on that. See Attachment A, entitled "Why Most Americans Do Not Inherently Owe Federal Income Taxes". Let me know ifyou want to write the introduction to my next publication-there are many more to come.”

http://abovethelaw.com/2015/04/pro-se-filing-of-the-day-notice-to-fck-this-court-and-everything-that-it-stands-for/

Having been on both sides of the law, that document, if real, would lead to some time in the county lock up and probably a shrink. Sounds like that "sovereign citizen" crap. Not that I haven't felt the same way about some judges....lol. Ordinary working people are not subject to onerous taxes. In fact, tax under Obama, who I intensly dislike, are the lowest in our lifetime. The rich don't pay, they pay their tax accountants (tax deductible) and/or hide the money offshore, thereby costing all of us. Sales tax, which all no matter how poor pay, is a regressive tax that punishes those that don't have big money, there is something to bitch about along with how much goes to the wars fought in our name.

I'm not even American but your post makes even me angry why the 99% failed to appreciate what they had and didn't nip this trend in the bud ages ago. Technology has given them such easy and instant access to so much information and equally important history to see what happened when citizens of other countries in the past ignored warning signs which ultimately led to totalitarian regimes.

IMO, I had previously noted that I no longer hold the greatest contempt for those with ill designs on the Republic. I blame my aunts and uncles, mother and father, and grandparents. I just don't write that here, I actually personally and openly indicted them for years for shitting the bed and allowing America to become a cesspool. I have put my money where my mouth is. These are the people who... but others tell me it goes back even further. Still, others take me back in blame to central bankers 100 years ago. I don't know. I do know what my life was like in the 1960s/1970s and having traveled the world nonstop my adult life I am aware that things did not simply change as a reflection of my aging perspective, things were thwarted, a coup, overthrown, discarded, tread upon, and ended. America is incapable of returning to an limited form of government. From some point recently on America is just varying degrees of tyranny. For all those who's lives were wounded, wasted, and lost lying in hallowed ground in such places as Jefferson Barracks and Arlington, I am sorry- it is done!

More regrettably still, I have always insisted as bad as America has become, beware "When the lights go out in America for good, the rest of the world will know real darkness."

Does such commentary even loosely address the OP? Yes, IMO and those of millions of others, yes, it does directly!