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.
No that’s not how it goes.
Ted Cruz reversed his vote because of the amendments by liberals that Boehner allowed and the conservative amendments that Boehner killed.
TPA is not the problem. The problem is Obama/Boehner.
TPA was changed when it went back to the House from the Senate; it was changed bill, a different bill. Ted Cruz voted YES on a good version and NO on a bad version.
TPA was actually a very good bill and it’s not new. The previous TPA was killed by Harry Reid to take it away from GW Bush. And TPA is not secret. This TPA was to be a reinstatement of the old bill but Boehner allowed liberal democrats to change it.
AMERICA was for SLAVERY before it was against it.
She (America) is often referred to in the Female vernacular, therefore ‘she’ has the prerogative to change ‘her’ mind.
Unfortunately, yes.
Not that I see an alternative to Cruz. But it serves as a good wakeup call to remember he's a politician.
I’d like to look into this in greater detail. Do you happen to have a link to an article that details the changes? Like I say the procedural stuff is not my cup of tea. Particularly because there is so much spin out there.
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...
So people here don’t understand what an amendment is and the process?
TPA is actually a very bad bill. Only 51 votes to pass something that is a treaty except in name is insane. No TPA supporter ever addresses this issue.
Absolutely. I’m afraid but for the push back he must have gotten, he would have again voted “yes” today. I mean, WTH changed? Nothing.
They are voting on TPA either later today or tomorrow. Cruz is voting “NO”.
Did Ted Cruz or his campaign give a reason why he decided not to vote for TPA ?
Would a good guess be that it didn’t has the language in the bill that he wanted to reign in the out of control power of Obama ?
What sort of launguge in the bill or amendment that Sen. Jess Sessions was trying to get Sen. Ted Cruz to work in that bill.
Perhaps Sen. Jeff Sessions had a last minute talk with Ted Cruz’s.
If that is the case it shows he is willing to listen to councling.
Cruz represented the state of Texas. Cornyn was just on singing the praises of TPA. Don’t think Cruz’s enemies won’t use his “No” vote against him back home.
So which Ted Cruz are you supporting 2DV?
The Ted Cruz who voted for TPA or the Ted Cruz who voted against TPA?
It would have passed if he had voted “no” the first time, too. Cruz was supporting the 3 million jobs in Texas that depend on exports. There will be a price to pay at home for his “no” vote today.
Start here:
Then here (be careful it’s the NY Times but they are usually revealing when it involves a liberal ‘win’):
Then read up on this democrat study guide to get a sense of what the democrats were targeting:
Then finally approach the most recent text of the bill that passed the House and pay attention to all the liberal amendments that were added by liberal democrats:
Both Cruz and Sessions tried to get language into the first Senate bill on immigration. Paul and Graham voted to block a vote on those amendments.
Cruz said the bill coming back from the House was further weakened and was corrupted by Dem amendments that were allowed and Conservative amendments that were blocked.
Thanks.
TPA is not a treaty, it’s not even a trade bill. And it’s not secret. If had read it you would see there’s not one non-US nation mentioned in it. It pertains only to rules and authority to be observed by Congress and the President.
It was a matter of Cruz believing the Rats wouldn’t run with it in the first place, just as they did.
Whatever.
LOL...
If you are talking about Diogenesis, he is dishonest. He trolls and never has the courage to admit who he supports. My guess based on talking points, is Rand Paul.
BTW, he is obsessed with toast.
No kidding. I was obviously referring to the section of the TPA that sets the votes needed for passage of the TPP and yes the scope of these trade agreements makes them a treaty Constitutionally.
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