Paul Ryan, Ted Cruz: Congress Gets Final Say on Trade Pacts

NewsMax ^ | Wednesday, 22 Apr 2015 10:05 AM | Jennifer G. Hickey

[SoConPubbie]

President Barack Obama may have battled with Rep. Paul Ryan during the last presidential election, but today the Wisconsin lawmaker is a critical ally and a leading voice in the effort to secure passage of historic trade deals with Europe and Asia.

"There is a lot at stake," said Ryan in a Wall Street Journal op-ed co-authored with Texas Sen. Ted Cruz. "One in five American jobs depends on trade, and that share is only going to grow. Ninety-six percent of the world's customers are outside the U.S. To create more jobs here, America needs to sell more goods and services over there."

. . . .

Last week, the lawmakers introduced their bill outlining "21st century congressional negotiating objectives" that future administrations "must follow when entering into and conducting trade talks with foreign countries," they said in a statement.

The authority, which affords the president and Congress the ability to "fast-track" trade deals, expired in 2007 and is opposed by many of Obama's key allies, including labor unions and environmentalists.

While Ryan and Cruz are allied with Obama in pursuing the two global trade pacts, they argued that "fast-track" legislation would keep lawmakers involved in the process from the beginning and ensure that the current and future presidents are held to account.

"But Congress can't just take the administration's word that it will drive a hard bargain. We have to hold it accountable, and that is what trade-promotion authority will help do," they wrote on Tuesday, adding that "before anything becomes law, Congress gets the final say."

[SoConPubbie]

"If we must have an enemy at the head of Government, let it be one whom we can oppose, and for whom we are not responsible, who will not involve our party in the disgrace of his foolish and bad measures." - Alexander Hamilton "We don't intend to turn the Republican Party over to the traitors in the battle just ended. We will have no more of those candidates who are pledged to the same goals as our opposition and who seek our support. Turning the Party over to the so-called moderates wouldn’t make any sense at all." -- President Ronald Reagan "A thing moderately good is not so good as it ought to be. Moderation in temper is always a virtue; but moderation in principle is always a vice." - Thomas Paine 1792 "It does not take a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority, keen on setting brushfires of freedom in the minds of men." - Samuel Adams "If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or your arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen." - Samuel Adams

[SoConPubbie]

    Ted Cruz Ping!

    If you want on/off this ping list, please let me know.
    Please beware, this is a high-volume ping list!

    CRUZ or LOSE!

[dp0622]

Ninety-six percent of the world’s customers are outside the U.S. To create more jobs here, America needs to sell more goods and services over there.”

you lie!!!!!

How many American jobs did NAFTA create. How many manufacturing jobs did opening the door to China create?

et tu Cruz?

[xzins]

I don’t believe in the trade agreements to date. I think Nafta and the others have been bad for American workers and have not opened foreign markets to American goods without covert restrictions and retaliations.

[Lurkinanloomin]

There have been reports that tucked inside this trade pact are provisions which will increase immigration from those countries invlved. We need to decrease legal immigration and STOP all illegal alien inundation.

[Lurkinanloomin]

We already know that Ryan is a traitor to the citizens. The involvement of Cruz in this concerns me greatly. I had been enthusiastically supporting his Presidential run until now.
I hope he has a good explanation.

[Iron Munro]

This bill is a Trojan Horse for more Obama style back-door immigration.

When democrats support a bill you know there are some poison pills in the fine print.

[arthurus]

Free movement of labor = unlimited immigration.

[factoryrat]

NATFA and favorable trade status with china has destroyed more industry in the US, and nearly as much in Canada and Mexico, as any actual destruction caused by a real shooting war could have caused.

As for the IT/tech workers who have to train their H1-B replacements under penalty of lost pay; you’re a day late and a dollar short to this outsourcing/replacement slave party. This has been going on in numerous industries since the mid 90’s, but everyone ignored it until the H1-B lobby worked their way up the food chain.

Next stop will be H1-B replacements for lawyers, financial sector workers, banking management, and ultimately government employees.

[luvie]

Hang tough, Ted!

Cruz or Lose!!

[arthurus]

Actual free trade including removing the tax and regulatory burdens on American industry would put American industry and American labor back in the driver's seat. EXCEPT FOR the inordinate burden of regulation ant taxes and the uncertainty created by the ever changing and increasing regulations, American workers are still the most cost efficient in the world for an employer. Industry is not decamping our shores because of the small wages overseas. Industry is leaving because those low wages combined with high taxation and pervasive expensive regulation makes production offshore more profitable or enables a company to return to profitability. The wage scale is not the important number. The cost of labor per unit of output is the important measure. By that measure America and Americans win, except of course, that America is taxing and regulating its industry right out of the country. It is coming to the point where wage rates in Indonesia that equal or are higher than wage rates in Illinois would still be more profitable in Indonesia.

[spokeshave]

We already know that Ryan is a traitor to the citizens. The involvement of Cruz in this concerns me greatly.

WWWS = What Would Walker Say on this issue.

[Zathras]

Someone finally woke up Paul Ryan.
What a disappointment he has turned out to be.

[cornelis]

What we need for jobs here is a bank specifically for exports and imports! : 0

[dp0622]

Wasn’t George Costanza an importer/exporter. When he wasn’t an architect or marine biologist :) or Jerry’s latex salesman

[Bob434]

careful- if you don’t 100% agree with everything Ted stands for, a popular forum member will threaten to have to kicked off the site- Apparently not agreeing 100% with Ted on everything here on FR is a no no- just a heads up as I’ve run into being threatened with a ban by him

[dp0622]

I've been threatened 3 times in two days for things I didn't think were that bad. I apologized but said I wasn't going to beg. 99 percent of the people on here are AWESOME. But that one percent is kind of ornery and angry.
IF Ted backs this, and it's true that other countries can override our laws, I’ll be crushed.

[SunkenCiv]

Meanwhile, in the land of the Jebusites:

Jeb Bush: Deal to advance Loretta Lynch has 'gotta be a win'

[stephenjohnbanker]

Loretta Lynch advocated committing federal crimes.

[Bob434]

probably you were threatened by same person as I was if you said soemthign not 120% supportive of Ted-

[[IF Ted backs this, and it’s true that other countries can override our laws, I’ll be crushed.]]

I agree- Let’s hope he doesn’t, but the article makes it appear he does- and it IS a big issue that needs to be discussed and brought to light IF it’s true-