Posted on 06/23/2015 10:15:22 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Later this afternoon, the Senate will hold a procedural vote on Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) in an attempt to reach cloture and guarantee a floor vote on fast-track authority for Barack Obama on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) free-trade agreement. On its first go-around, TPA barely made it past this procedural hurdle, with only 13 Democrats coming along for the ride — and that package included Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA), a key Democratic priority to buffer the effects of globalization for American workers. Without it, even those few Democrats may take a pass on TPA, which would once again put fast-track into park.
With the vote just hours away, Obama spent yesterday twisting arms, The Hill reports. He got Oregon’s Ron Wyden to commit to supporting the bill, but other former Ayes are holding out:
Backers of fast-track likely need 11 Democratic votes because five of the Senate’s Republicans voted against the trade package last month.
Sens. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) and Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) said Monday they are still reviewing their options, while Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) insisted he wants fast-track to remain bundled with Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA), an aid program for workers hurt by foreign competition.
Democratic Sens. Chris Coons (Del.), Michael Bennet (Colo.), Jeanne Shaheen (N.H.) and Claire McCaskill (Mo.) declined to say Monday evening how they would vote.
Besides Wyden, Obama has four other former ayes in line to back TPA: Carper (DE), Nelson (FL), Feinstein (CA), and Kaine (VA), most of whose states will benefit from trade. Patty Murray (WA), a key figure in the earlier approval, has remained very quiet this week. If Murray drops her support over TAA, Obama’s down to one vote to swing the issue.
Treasury Secretary Jack Lew told CNN’s Fareed Zakaria Sunday that Obama has gone all in on lobbying for cloture, using some remarkable hyperbole to describe the effort:
But I think it will pass and the one thing I can say is the president has spared no effort on this. He has talked to more members than I can count, more senators than I can count. And everyone in the cabinet, including myself, is doing their job to try and get this across the finish line.
Er, there are only 100 Senators at any one time, and in this case only a dozen or so who matter. If that’s more Senators than the Treasury Secretary can count, that hardly builds confidence in our fiscal management, no? Obviously Lew’s using a figure of speech here, but it’s telling that Lew feels the need to hype Obama’s work with Capitol Hill to such an extent. His predecessors considered that kind of engagement par for the course, to use a term with which Obama should be rather familiar.
Obama could have more trouble than just with the Democrats. Republicans have come under considerable pressure from the base to put an end to “Obamatrade,” or at least not give Obama more executive authority to abuse than he already has. In the first cloture vote last month, four Republicans did not support it: Susan Collins (ME), Lee (UT), Paul (KY), Sessions (AL), and Shelby (AL), plus Enzi (WY) did not vote. Obama can’t afford to lose any other Republicans, but presidential hopeful Ted Cruz announced this morning at Breitbart that he’s backing out:
As a general matter, I agree (as did Ronald Reagan) that free trade is good for America; when we open up foreign markets, it helps American farmers, ranchers, and manufacturers.
But TPA in this Congress has become enmeshed in corrupt Washington backroom deal-making, along with serious concerns that it would open up the potential for sweeping changes in our laws that trade agreements typically do not include. …
Enough is enough. I cannot vote for TPA unless McConnell and Boehner both commit publicly to allow the Ex-Im Bank to expire—and stay expired. And, Congress must also pass the Cruz-Sessions amendments to TPA to ensure that no trade agreement can try to back-door changes to our immigration laws. Otherwise, I will have no choice but vote no.
There’s too much corporate welfare, too much cronyism and corrupt dealmaking, by the Washington cartel. For too long, career politicians in both parties have supported government of the lobbyist, by the lobbyist, and for the lobbyist – at the expense of the taxpayers. It’s a time for truth. And a time to honor our commitments to the voters.
If Cruz bolts, that might put more pressure on Marco Rubio to reverse course, although free trade is important enough for Florida and for conservatives in general that he might stick with TPA. Unless Obama can convince one or more of the five Republicans who didn’t back cloture the last time to reverse their position, Obama may be looking at another defeat on trade.
Update: In the end, Obama, McConnell, and Boehner got their way. Cruz flipped to no but Mike Enzi cast an aye vote, and Obama only lost one of the Democrats who voted for TPA the first time around:
The outcome of this key procedural vote had been in doubt as a group of 14 pro-trade Democrats weighed whether to continue their support of the bill out of concern that a related workers’ assistance package might not pass both chambers.
But after repeated assurances by GOP congressional leaders that workers’ assistance measure will be adopted, 13 out of 14 backed the bill.
The vote was 60 to 37, passing by the slimmest margin needed to pass.
A final Senate vote on fast-track could come as soon as later Tuesday, and it will then head to President Barack Obama’s desk for his signature.
McConnell says he intends to honor his pledge to those Democrats by bring the TAA bill to the floor next.
A$$HOLE Rubio voted YES! Soft Handed PU$$Y POS!
I am glad to see Cruz switch to no. He was hurting himself in the Presidential primary. I was willing to give him some slack on this, but many were not.
How nice another Sellout of America. These so called Free trade agreements are Crap.
How about we disengage from the G7, The WTO, The UN, and NAFTA, we would be better off.
Rubio made himself unacceptable when he schemed with Schumer against the citizens with his Gang activities.
Rubio still thinks we must abandon the rule of law and surrender the country to fraudulently documented foreigners.
Toast’ed Cruz KNEW this would pass and
tried to hide his previous support of Obama,
ObamaTRADE, SECRECY and antiConstitutional corruption.
So he and his wife still get the bonus from Goldmann Sachs.
Yes he did. I have no doubt that he would switch back and support full amnesty if he were elected.
Why? His vote doesn't matter now. The enabling vote was on TPA without which none of these other votes would have mattered.
I haven’t yet read enough to comment on this news, but will anyway.
Some of us expected this. Frankly, the so-called “test vote” was taken initially when too many voted for the first “test”. But, I suppose tolerating an idea of a thing is different than, in the end, actually voting for the dang thing, although Cruz did first vote to tolerate the idea of a second vote.
The initial vote lent a heck of a big assist to this Obama empowerment effort, and now at last it seems enough throats have been slashed and arms twisted that this test vote moves all things along. Of course, I am grateful that Cruz in the damn clinch voted “right”.
I don’t know what to think, actually. It seemed so clear to me how, initially, in the very first vote, to vote. How do they do it, Vetsy, play around with these things, and sleep at night?
Rubio sold us out and Cruz switched to no because he knew it would pass. This way he can say “Look! I voted no!”
What a bunch of crap.
Still makes one wonder what’s really in his heart. And of course, it’ll give the left some “flip-flopper” ammo.
You never quit, do you? We’re all still waiting for your proof that Ted & Heidi Cruz are receiving payoffs.
And here you are again with your same boilerplate diatribe against Ted Cruz.
Here again is my boilerplate question to you that you never answer, cannot answer and will not answer:
WHY DID SENATOR SESSIONS VOTE ‘Y-E-S’ ON THE ‘S-E-C-R-E-T’ IRAN DEAL?
The honest answer goes along the lines of “I don’t know, I don’t have all the facts”.
****************************************************************************************
To Jane Long: do you see how these trolls pop up on every one of these types of threads spouting the same nonsense?
Do you believe Ted Cruz supports Obama. trade secrecy, and is anti-Constitutional all for the absurd purpose of collecting a bonus from GS?
Is this the camp you are encouraging? Are these the voices you are joining?
Just another performance of the DC Kabuki Theater
Republicans who voted against advancing the fast-track bill were:
• Susan Collins, Maine
• Ted Cruz, Texas
• Rand Paul, Kentucky
• Jeff Sessions, Alabama
• Richard Shelby, Alabama
Those were the same senators who voted against the measure in late May, with the exception of Cruz, who announced his reversal Tuesday morning. (Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah was also a “no” vote in May, but he did not vote Tuesday.)
I find all this procedural stuff confusing, but if I understand correctly, Cruz was for it before he was against it?
Are you a simpleton?
I'm glad Cruz switched, I'd been pissed to see him vote for TPA and then against TPP & others.
That proof will never come. Give him a few days, and he'll be on to some other slanderous accusation. Anything to try and destroy the most solid conservative in the race.
Besides, he's going to post until his "T" key wears out. He's happened upon a catchword he thinks is the pinnacle of rapier-like wit, so he'll keep repeating it several times in each post.
And, just like any other refugee from the short bus, he'll cackle at what he thinks is his own originality while everyone else rolls their eyes at his dullness.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.