Why Ted Cruz is Right on TPA

Reclaim DC ^ | May 22, 2015 | David Serenda

[SoConPubbie]

It has been said that politics makes strange bedfellows. Well, there is no finer example of that statement than the recent votes on the Trade Promotion Authority. Free trade has long been advanced by conservatives who understand the need to expand our markets beyond our borders. On the other side stands the democrats and the radical left who fear competition and doubt America’s exceptionalism. Yesterday, the Senate cleared the 60 vote hurdle to bring the Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) up for a vote. I for one, welcome President Obama to the side of common sense solutions, to help solve the economic disaster that his domestic policies have created. I only wish that he would use that common sense more often.

 

If you have listened to Ted Cruz speak on the economy, you will hear him promote the idea of free trade. One of the many reasons I support Ted Cruz for President is his common sense solutions to solve America’s economic problems. America has experienced a trade deficit for as long as I can remember. A large part of that stems from poorly negotiated trade deals in the past, high tariffs being placed on American products by foreign governments, and currency manipulation. The TPA is a step in the right direction to resolve many of the trade imbalance issues and will provide a set of strict guidelines for negotiations.

 

What exactly is TPA or fast track? I am glad you’ve asked. Trade Promotion Authority, TPA, and Fast Track all refer to the same piece of legislation. First, it is important to note that TPA is not a trade agreement in and of itself, but rather Congress establishing a set of requirements that the President must follow in every trade deal he submits through the TPA “fast track” legislation. By Congress authorizing this legislation they are able to have a part in the terms of the negotiations that take place with foreign governments. In addition to controlling the outline of any trade deal, they are able to force the President to share with them the details of any trade deals as he is negotiating. There are many opportunities for Congress to read and be involved in these negotiations if they really had a desire. There is also a requirement for public summaries to be released throughout the process of the negotiations. Once the trade agreement is completed it must be made available to the public before Congress is able to vote on it.

 

Without the TPA the President is able to negotiate any trade deal without any input from Congress or the American people. Even more alarming the President has the authority to conduct these negotiations in secret and only make them public when he submits them to Congress for approval. Once in Congress the process of buying votes and adding poison pills to the legislation corrupts the entire process. If we know anything about Washington, it is that its corruption runs deeper than the oceans. For these reasons previous Congress, both democratic and republican, have authorized “fast track” legislation.

 

As with anything in politics there are groups who, in an effort to promote their ideology of isolationism, will put out misinformation in order to derail legislation that they oppose. As with anything you read or hear about legislation coming out of Washington, familiarize yourself with not only the facts of the legislation, but any potential bias or agenda the author may be hiding.

 

[odawg]

“America has experienced a trade deficit for as long as I can remember”

Free trade has dismantled America’s manufacturing base, has destroyed our economy. The wages of Americans have stagnated since the advent of free trade. Our deficits were as nothing compared to what happened with the advent of free trade. That can be verified quickly; we have the internet now. The trade bill was passed in SECRET. If it is that good, why, why, was it kept secret?

“I for one, welcome President Obama to the side of common sense solutions”

Why does common sense require secrecy? Wouldn’t the common sense lodged in the bill plainly override all objections? Is it common sense to repeat the same mistakes? What is Obama’s track record for being pro-American, in any sense? Who in their right mind would trust Obama, would grant him MORE power? Senator Sessions said that the bill has an enabling clause that allows Obama to change it at his whim. With free trade and Obama, we have ninety-two million Americans unemployed.

[SoConPubbie]

Your argument is based on no facts, simply conjecture.

[Jane Long]

What I don’t get is why would you want to take away Congress’ ability to debate such agreements (with a simple up or down vote...not hearing, or knowing, where each Rep stands on said proposal)? Also, why sign on to something that no one (except its authors ~ one of which I’ve read is a Soros group) has seen, or been allowed to read and/or release? This just isn’t making sense, to me.

Maybe my questions have been answered in previous posts/threads...and I’ve overlooked something? I’ve read the Op-Ed Cruz co-wrote with Lyin’ Paul Ryan and the statement Sen Cruz posted on his Senate site. Still not getting it.

[SoConPubbie]

Taking jobs away from America, American workers who feed their families, purchase items makes tax money for the cities, counties, states and government...

Sen. Cruz: Trade Promotion Authority Creates a Path for Prosperity

WE MUST ENGAGE THE GLOBAL ECONOMY TO IGNITE GROWTH AND OPPORTUNITY AT HOME

[SoConPubbie]

What I don’t get is why would you want to take away Congress’ ability to debate such agreements (with a simple up or down vote...not hearing, or knowing, where each Rep stands on said proposal)? Also, why sign on to something that no one (except its authors ~ one of which I’ve read is a Soros group) has seen, or been allowed to read and/or release? This just isn’t making sense, to me.

Not quite true Jane.

Each of the Senators and their staffs have been able to read and review this bill.

[houeto]

I think Cruz has drank the Kool-Aid in Washington D.C. and is no better than obama or the others....

I absolutely abhor the secrecy of this TPP BS but to state that the God-fearing Cruz is no better than the godless o-bama is beyond the pale! That is the single most brain-dead statement I have EVER read on Free Republic.

[cripplecreek]

Total elimination of the tax imposed on manufacturing was one of the smart things Rick Santorum was saying in 2012.

We tax the ground the ore is buried in, we tax the ore that comes out of the ground, we tax the metal refined from the ore, we tax the screw made out of the metal, we tax the completed part and that’s all before it gets anywhere near a retailer.

[Unmarked Package]

The responses from the author to all the usual questions and comments posted following the text of the article are outstanding. It’s apparent the author is well informed on the text of the legislation and I recommend reading all the responses.

[Jane Long]

Thanks. I hadn’t seen/read where the Senators/staff had been able to read/review. It’s probably in one of your links ;-)

I still don’t get the up or down vote vs debate. What am I missing? TIA.

[odawg]

You didn’t look up our history of trade deficits? Not conjecture. You haven’t looked up the number of manufacturing jobs lost under free trade? Not conjecture. You haven’t noticed the unemployment rate? Not conjecture. Stale wage growth, actual decline. Not conjecture. Bill kept classified by the Obama administration. Not conjecture. You believe Obama can be trusted to do what is right for America?
Is that conjecture for you?

[SoConPubbie]

I still don’t get the up or down vote vs debate. What am I missing? TIA.

That part I do not understand. Are we sure that is the case?

[yoe]

("The first thing we should keep in mind when talking about TPA is that while its basic function is beneficial in facilitating the passage of trade agreements, the bill is 113 pages long because it’s full of caveats and reservations.")

(read the bill for yourself)

[SoConPubbie]

You haven’t noticed the unemployment rate?

Trying to state that the Trade Treaties, and any resultant deficits are the sole cause of unemployment is a very weak argument. It also ignores jobs created by these treaties, and there have been many jobs created that would not have happened otherwise.

At best, that kind of statement lacks a lot of context, at worst, it is dishonest.

[SoConPubbie]

Link does not work.

[GraceG]

[ Total elimination of the tax imposed on manufacturing was one of the smart things Rick Santorum was saying in 2012.

We tax the ground the ore is buried in, we tax the ore that comes out of the ground, we tax the metal refined from the ore, we tax the screw made out of the metal, we tax the completed part and that’s all before it gets anywhere near a retailer. ]

Yup, and if it comes from another country we don’t want to tax that at all, even if they pollute like hell, pay their workers practically nothing, and the people themselves belong to their kleptocratic state....

We could remove just 1/2 or even 1/4 of the regulations and taxes we place on domestic production and virtually see a boom overnight on the domestic economy because that would remove the margins and incentive to have said item produced by a totalitarian slave state like china.

[Noumenon]

Somehow, I don’t think it’s Ted.

[SoConPubbie]

Trying to state that the Trade Treaties, and any resultant deficits are the sole cause of unemployment is a very weak argument. It also ignores jobs created by these treaties, and there have been many jobs created that would not have happened otherwise.

To be clear and honest, I am sure that the trade deficits impact unemployment, however, there are a whole host of other causes that are involved in the high unemployment rate, many of them can be laid at the feet of rampant Illegal immigration and the policies of Obama.

[GraceG]

[ Trying to state that the Trade Treaties, and any resultant deficits are the sole cause of unemployment is a very weak argument. It also ignores jobs created by these treaties, and there have been many jobs created that would not have happened otherwise. ]

Unless this trade agreement has in it a mechanism to remove domestic restriction of taxes and regulation on items that we currently buy from places like china, I WILL NOT BITE.

But hey unless you can post the full text here, you arguments are just violin music in a windstorm of discontent with congress.

[TNMOUTH]

But, he echoes the sentiment of the WSJ and others...including Ted Cruz himself. Freepers just won’t accept what was written.

As such, cRUZ has lost my vote. He has lost my money. I will no longer support him. I guess I’ll throw my vote to a less Conservative, pandering, RINO type. /sarc

[VTenigma]

Congress is voting themselves into obsolescence by pre-emptivly acquiescing 2/3rds majority treaty votes with simple majority votes to let the executive branch do what they want.