Posted on 05/27/2015 11:34:40 AM PDT by Theoria
Critics of the controversial Trans-Pacific Partnership are unlikely to be silenced by an analysis of the flood of money it took to push the pact over its latest hurdle
A decade in the making, the controversial Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is reaching its climax and as Congress hotly debates the biggest trade deal in a generation, its backers have turned on the cash spigot in the hopes of getting it passed.
“We’re very much in the endgame,” US trade representative Michael Froman told reporters over the weekend at a meeting of the 21-member Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum on the resort island of Boracay. His comments came days after TPP passed another crucial vote in the Senate.
That vote, to give Barack Obama the authority to speed the bill through Congress, comes as the president’s own supporters, senior economists and a host of activists have lobbied against a pact they argue will favor big business but harm US jobs, fail to secure better conditions for workers overseas and undermine free speech online.
Those critics are unlikely to be silenced by an analysis of the sudden flood of money it took to push the pact over its latest hurdle.
Fast-tracking the TPP, meaning its passage through Congress without having its contents available for debate or amendments, was only possible after lots of corporate money exchanged hands with senators. The US Senate passed Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) – the fast-tracking bill – by a 65-33 margin on 14 May. Last Thursday, the Senate voted 62-38 to bring the debate on TPA to a close.
Those impressive majorities follow months of behind-the-scenes wheeling and dealing by the world’s most well-heeled multinational corporations with just a handful of holdouts.
(Excerpt) Read more at theguardian.com ...
Never has the government been so infested with liars, thieves and perverts. I used to think it was a good idea having them all there instead of robbing little old ladies and raping children.
I am now of the opinion that we need them in our neighborhoods so that we can thin out the herd.
Another outrage is that each displaced worker will cost taxpayers far more per year to support than the $19,000, 30 pieces of silver payment, the senators sold their vote for.
Also can’t believe more issue wasn’t made about how a trade bill was so secret that senators weren’t permitted to take notes, or publicly discuss deliberations.
Shades of Obolacare: “we need to vote for it, in order to find out what’s in it.”
The Republicans have ensured their future minority status be being the ones who advocated for more jobs going abroad.
Unemployment, Food stamp (EBT card), Social Security disability payments, Section 8, Medicaid, college retraining education costs are going to further add to national debt and further necessiate more Fed fiat money printing, as we lose our standard of living and sovereignty.
Simply a disgrace.
I agree with your sentiments but I also believe we should give credit where credit is due.
Out of the total $1,148,971 given, an average of $17,676.48 was donated to each of the 65 “yea” votes.
The average Republican member received $19,673.28 from corporate TPP supporters.
The average Democrat received $9,689.23 from those same donors.
What that means is the r whores are more expensive than d whores.
A campaign aid for Ted Cruz was on Facebook defending the TPA and the TPP. They told me that I was quoting too many left wing articles and no one would listen.
Please try to inform them that all the opposition isn’t coming from the left.
Did Ted Cruz take money from the supporters of TPP?
I haven’t looked at the FEC donation records on Cruz so I don’t know if he did or not. Still Cruz looks better than a lot of the other scumbags tho.
We have the best government money can buy ...
We're all in the wrong business.
> average of $17,676.48 was donated to each of the 65 “yea” votes.
We’re all in the wrong business.
They’re refered to as prostitutes for a reason.
> I’m surprised at how cheaply they valued their vote and their loyalty to America.
That’s just what’s on the books. Politicians never report all the income / payoff / influence peddling funds they receive with the rare exception of a very small few in number. They use personal couriers to bypass bank depots / wire transfers and do cash handoffs. When I was working undercover I saw it myself. I was in a vehicle with another guy and there was around XX,000 in a briefcase that we probably drove about 300 miles to deliver to a representative that worked for the guy. That was quite a while back so the amounts are probably 6 figures by now...
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