Posted on 06/17/2015 6:25:54 AM PDT by Red Badger
Dropping Trade Adjustment Assistance risks losing Democratic support for the larger trade deal.
The House is on the brink of scheduling a standalone vote on giving President Barack Obama fast-track trade authority without accompanying worker assistance legislation, according to multiple sources familiar with the plan.
The House could vote on Trade Promotion Authority as early as this week, the sources said. The House Rules Committee, which sets parameters for the consideration of legislation, meets late Tuesday afternoon. A final decision has not been made, and top Congressional aides are in negotiations to chart a course forward. Boehner was set to meet with pro-trade Democrats at 3 p.m.
Under the current plan, House Republican leadership would likely use an already-approved Senate bill to move fast-track authority, which would allow Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s (R-Ky.) chamber to avoid a round of votes.
The Senate would amend a trade “preferences” bill with Trade Adjustment Assistance, a job-training and worker aid program, and send it to the House. This would serve to separate the two key priorities, and allow them to be sent to Obama’s desk separately.
The vote would certainly be a gamble. House Republicans would need Democrats to pass the legislation, and it’s not clear how many of them would vote for a fast-track bill without a measure to help workers who lose their jobs to trade directly attached. TAA failed last week after 144 Democrats voted against it.
“It’s going to be shared responsibility to get this done,” said Rep. Ron Kind (D-Wis.), a leading Democratic supporter of TPA. “It’s going to require bipartisan effort, both sides willing to cooperate a little bit more than what we’ve had so far. I know there’s all eyes on the [Democratic] Caucus right now on TAA, but last time I checked, 48 Senate Republicans voted for TAA when it came up with TPA. So there’s a strong Republican support, at least in the Senate, of getting TPA passed with their votes.”
It’s not clear, however, that fast-track authority can muster enough support in the Senate without the job-training legislation.
Trade supporters don’t have many other options. Obama is unlikely to be able to flip the necessary 75 Democratic votes to pass the TPA-TAA package they crafted last week.
“It has now been abandoned, essentially,” House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said of efforts to pass TAA. “I think the thought was we can cobble together the votes for it and then send [the legislation] to the president. I think clearly they concluded that was not going to work.”
Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), who sees the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement as crucial, said he and Obama spoke “several” times Monday about a path forward. He is weighing how to proceed.
“There are a lot of options on the table,” Boehner said Tuesday, when asked about moving TPA on its own.
Meanwhile, the House moved Tuesday to preserve last week’s fast-track vote. Embedded in a procedural vote Tuesday was language that allows Boehner to bring up the TAA vote any time before July 30. That resolution passed, 236-189, with six Republicans voting no.
I recall them being equally devious in stopping or removing Obamacare....then I woke up from my dreams.
Head is spinning.
The unholy marriage of Big Business and Big Government is destroying the nation. They won’t get away with it forever.
In the meantime, refuse to vote for any senator who follows McConnell and the Chamber of Amnesty down this road to serfdom for Middle Class America. And that includes Cruz, Rubio, and Paul. Funding Obamacare and passing Obamatrade shows they are not fighters for freedom.
What’s the rush? This won’t get negotiated in 18 months or less, or before the next election, so why the rush? Stupid!!! Bonehead is an ass.
Jeb Bush, here we come!
I thought we won in 2014?
Why so secret? Why does it have to be passed..now, hurry, right now. Just as TARP, same with Obozocare. Secret and had to pass with all sense of urgency.
Then now the Pope calling for a global governance to deal with Climate change. TPP is reported to have climate related global governance attached as well. Kinda creepy given the bible speaks of a false prophet, global governance.
Also, republicans are the folks driving this thing and helping keep this thing from the MSM/citizens. Paul Ryan, once upcoming champion of the republican party parroted Nancy Pelosi in we will find out what's in it once approved.
What's in it that they do not want us to see?
Uniparty scum
4) The “act now” mentality on Capitol Hill is disturbing. Congress is behaving like a used-car salesman who won’t let you leave the lot without a deal. This isn’t the end of all trade bills, it isn’t the end of free trade so why the hysteria?
The way the help works is the skilled worker loses his job because the elites buy lawmakers to make it profitable to move their plants over seas. Then some crony makes millions setting up classes to teach the unemployed how to flip burgers. The elites then mock the workers for being poor but they can’t figure out why America is turning protectionist.
Foolish plebe, you think too much....................
+1
They work hard for Obama. But for us? Not so much.
Hopefully that will unite the Democrats to oppose it.
What’s in it that they do not want us to see?
*****************
The destruction of national sovereignty.
The president is authorized by the constitution to negotiate treaties. He doesn’t need an act of congress to do that. He only wants fast track authority so congress voluntarily gives up its authority to modify what the president wants.
Right?
I find it creepy the Pope is calling for a global governance at the very time this secret trade pact is being shoved down our throats.
Almost appears coordinated.
There were 5s R in the Senate that voted against TPA, they are Sessions, Lee, Paul, Collins and Shelby. It is incorrect to say Paul voted for Obamatrade when he in fact voted against it. 18 Senators voted against funding obamacare all republicans, Paul was one of those 18's that voted not to fund.
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