Posted on 05/02/2015 5:55:24 AM PDT by cotton1706
Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) sought to assuage conservative concerns about a trade bill that’s a top priority for both President Obama and GOP leaders in his party’s weekly address.
Isakson made the case that giving Obama “fast-track” authority on trade wouldn’t be giving too much power to a president that many conservatives believe is guilty of executive overreach.
Under fast-track authority, lawmakers aren’t allowed to amend trade deals sent up to Congress. That’s seen as crucial to completing the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a massive agreement between the U.S., Japan and 10 other Asian economies.
“Congress still has the final say in approving a trade agreement. And I want to be very clear — this legislation does not guarantee approval of any proposed trade agreement,” said Isakson, a member of the Senate committee that oversees trade policy.
“Every trade agreement will still be scrutinized by your representatives and by the senators in Congress.”
Isakson’s address is only the latest element of a concerted public relations effort from Obama and senior Republicans on trade. Both the president and House Ways and Means Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) used their parties’ addresses a week ago to lobby for the trade deal, making it a rare weekend when Republicans and Democrats were pushing for the same end result.
But fast-track, formally known as trade promotion authority, still faces plenty of obstacles on Capitol Hill. Democrats, feeling burned by past trade deals like the North American Free Trade Agreement, are mostly opposed to the deal.
Regulating trade is the purview of the Congress, but the powers that be want to pass it to the Executive, while keeping the sham of "just an up or down vote." When we all know that arms will be twisted to approve EVERY trade deal signed by the president, no matter what the party.
Also, Isaacson is up for reelection next year. And needs a primary challenge. Here's his pathetic rating.
Isakson (GA) - 2016 - 54% (Average) - 44% (CReview) - 50% (Heritage) - 53% (CFG) - 54% (ACU) - 67% (FreedomWorks)
Like we trust them...
Good old Johnny loves the trappings of power more than he loves his country. The man is an idiot and willing to give away duly vested congressional power to the DiC. He MUST be primaried. He is dangerous
Johnny Isakson is a POS RINO who is kept in office by the Dunwoody business crowd. He is totally worthless and should have been primaried last time. I have not voted for the guy in the last two cycles. He will have to get re-elected without my vote and a lot of others also. Letting a Democrat take that seat for 6 years would be no different than having Isakson in it. He either co-sponsors or votes for every Libtard piece of legislation put in the hopper.
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