Cruz: TPA Doesn’t Give Obama More Power, Jeff Sessions ‘Not Accurate’ On TPP

Breitbard ^ | 06/12/2015 | Ian Hanchett

[SoConPubbie]

Texas Senator and GOP presidential candidate Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) argued Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) “is not giving the president more authority” and that Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) is “not accurate” in some of his claims regarding the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) on Friday’s broadcast of “The Kuhner Report” on Boston’s WRKO.

Cruz argued that he had been the staunchest opponent of President Barack Obama in Congress. He then separated TPA (Trade Promotion Authority) and the TPP (the Trans-Pacific Partnership). He touched on TPA first, stating that “history has demonstrated, the only way to get a trade agreement adopted is with fast-track. Since FDR, consistently, for 80 years, presidents in both parties have had fast-track. Anytime fast-track has lapsed, trade agreements don’t get negotiated.” He later added that it was a “misunderstanding” to say TPA gave away the Senate’s treaty power. Cruz stated that “Under the Constitution, there are two ways to make binding law. Number one, you can pass a treaty ratified by 2/3ds of the Senate. Or number two, you can pass legislation passed by a majority of both of houses of Congress and signed by the president. … TPA uses the second constitutional path.” And “it’s been long recognized that the Constitution’s Origination Clause applies to trade bills, which means the House of Representatives has to be involved. There’s a reason why trade bills have historically not been done as treaties, because the Constitution says that anything concerning the raising of revenues, and trade bills concern tariffs, which are the raising of revenues, has to originate in the House of Representatives. So, the process of approving a trade agreement through both houses of Congress has been the way it has been done for roughly a century. And it is not giving the president more authority.”

Regarding TPP, Cruz said

[jwalsh07]

How clever.

[SoConPubbie]

Sessions gets marked down on conservative ratings over issues like tariffs and water mitigation.

Apparently you don't know what you are talking about. From Heritage Action ScoreCard:

These are the issues from the 113th session of the Senate that contributed to Sessions getting an 85% grade:

1. Prevent Taxpayer Funding of the United Nations While Any Member Nation Forces Involuntary Abortions - Voted No.
2. The Marketplace Fairness Act of 2013 (S.336), while often referred to as an “Internet sales tax” bill, the legislation has far broader and more complex implications. - Voted Yes
3. Marketplace Fairness Act of 2013 - While often referred to as an “Internet sales tax” bill, the legislation has far broader and more complex implications, especially with regard to states’ rights.There is no Internet exemption from sales taxes; in fact, sales taxes are already collected for the vast majority of online sales. Instead, the proposal concerns the power of states over businesses outside of their borders. Specifically, the proposal would overturn a Supreme Court decision setting limits on a state’s ability to require out-of-state retailers to collect sales taxes for them, turning every out-of-state retailer into a sales tax collector for nearly 10,000 separate state, local and municipal tax jurisdictions. The bill will likely face Due Process challenges should it become law. - Voted Yes
4. Water Resources Development Act of 2013 - The Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2013 (S.601) would authorize federal spending on an array of water resource projects, including for ports, harbors, inland waterways, beaches, and wetlands, most of which are run by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that S.601 outlays will be $12.2 billion over the fiscal year 2014-2023 period, though the substitute amendment will drive that cost significantly higher. - Voted Yes
5. Cloture on the Renomination of Fred Hochberg as President of the Export-Import Bank. Heritage Action opposes the existence of the Export-Import Bank of the United States, which is better understood as a Fannie Mae for exporters. Moreover, the Bank distorts markets by backing risky loans with taxpayer dollars. The Bank uses the guarantee of taxpayer money to back politically favored companies and projects. The Bank’s primary function is to encourage exports of U.S. products and services, but its contribution to total exports is negligible. Voting to confirm Hochberg is inconsistent with the conservative goal of winding down the Ex-Im Bank. - Voted Yes
6. The Homeowner Flood Insurance Act. When Congress reauthorized the NFIP in 2012, it required the phase out of subsidies on insurance premiums so that policyholders would eventually begin paying actuarially sound rates. Real reforms to the NFIP are needed now, not arbitrary delays. Taxpayers should not be forced to continue subsidizing high-risk development of flood-prone areas. The Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012 increases financial accountability among homeowners and removes an undue burden on taxpayers. Its reforms should not be delayed or undone. - Voted Yes

He also received dings for not co-sponsoring the following legislations:

1. Senate Transportation Empowerment Act. Currently, American motorists and truckers pay a federal gas tax of 18.4 cents per gallon at the pump; the money is funneled into the federal Highway Trust Fund (HTF) and funneled back to the states via complex congressional formulas, and billions are diverted each year to programs that do not improve congestion or increase mobility. The Transportation Empowerment Act would empower states by allowing them to keep and control their gasoline tax revenues, set their infrastructure priorities, control their transportation decisions, and partner with the private sector to meet local needs. This legislation would provide states relief from federal regulations so that they could put local priorities first and fund projects that provide congestion relief, capacity expansion, and enhanced mobility.
2. Employee Rights Act. The Heritage Foundation explains that this bill would guarantee employees the right to vote privately in a secret ballot election before forming a union, opt out of having their personal contact information provided to a union during an organizing drive, vote in a secret ballot election before accepting a contract or going on strike, vote regularly on re-electing their union, decide whether their union can spend their dues on matters unrelated to collective bargaining, and be free from union interference or extortion in exercising their legal rights. The Employee Rights Act would solve problems workers face today – including problems enshrined in current labor law. The bill would help restore a balance of power in the workplace from unions to workers.
3. Higher Education Reform and Opportunity Act of 2013. An effort to deal with the problem of rising college costs is imperative because college tuition has risen significantly over the years. Heritage notes, “Since 1982, the cost of attending college has increased 439 percent, more than four times the rate of inflation.” The Lee-Desantis bill decouples federal student aid from accreditation, enabling states the ability to accredit courses and educational options and thereby increasing competition in higher education.


Senator Cruz, on the other hand, either voted correctly (according to Heritage) on the issues listed above (except 1) or co-sponsored the legislation.

I stand by my assertion that I can trust Senator Cruz over Senator Session. Senator Cruz is more trustworthy where conservatism is concerned.

[Moonman62]

Cruz is also on record saying that he wants to flood the labor market with visa holders. I like him, but he doesn’t get it in a few areas.

[jwalsh07]

In fact somebody as clever as yourself ought be able to tell me where I can read the Trade Promotion Authority. Can you do that Mr. Gator?

[SoConPubbie]

The right to keep and bare arms shall not be infringed. That constitution thing works every time don't it?

He didn't state that it worked every time.

You're putting words in his mouth.

[WIBamian]

Hey, it’s your worshiping of a wannabe technocrat, who is really nothing more than a Mr. Potato Head who puts parts on his face to help conceal his true Transnational Progressive identity, that concerns so many of us.

[SoConPubbie]

Allen West is more of a principled man than Ted Cruz could ever hope to be.

Oh B.S.!

So where was West on ObamaCare when Cruz was doing everything he could to defund it?

How about when Cruz was doing everything he could to defeat the "Gang of Eight" Amnesty Bill?

How about when Cruz was trying to stop the Ex-im bank Reauthorization?

How about when Cruz was trying to stop Obama's illegal Amnesty of the Illegal Kids streaming across our border?

Where is West RIGHT NOW while Cruz is attempting to stop the GOP from extending the Obamacare benefits?

You're an idiot!

[cripplecreek]

Coming from another primary season troll that means a lot to me.

Well, join your friends and threaten me by FReepmail, it hurts so much more when its personal. LOL

[Stentor]

The only republicans not willing to sell out to Obama.

So we have 4 guys and Susie Democrat who are unwilling to sell put to the globalists. It's worrying, isn't it.

[Monterrosa-24]

As I stated the truth is paramount but one who runs for office tries to win. In 1980, Phil Crane was the strongest and purist conservative but Reagan had the aura. Sessions is not running for president and if he did could he rise in the primary? Would there be any chance at all? And if one looks at the ratings, Sessions is not as conservative as Cruz. They all put their pants on one leg at a time and that included Ronald Reagan and Phil Crane.

[itsahoot]

I don’t see anything particularly wrong with that concept.

How sad.

[itsahoot]

In response to people who are afraid that he voted to give more power to Obama

He didn't bother to tell us about the regulatory commission made up of God knows who that would have the power to interpret and even change the agreement though. It is never the deal that is bad, it is the implementation of the deal that turns these things sour. Obamacare is full of this kind of cr@p.

[P-Marlowe]

Don’t feed me a crap sandwich and tell me it’s peanut butter.

[itsahoot]

For those who are OK with trashing Cruz to protect your candidate,

My candidate is not running and Cruz doesn't need any help with the trashing, he is doing it to himself. His vote was not needed on this bill for it to pass, so why was he speaking out in favor of it?

[cripplecreek]

Sessions is not running for president and if he did could he rise in the primary?

Apparently he supported CAFTA so I'd have to say no.

[itsahoot]

Ted Cruz is the best choice we have, by far.

The people that populate FR haven't picked a winning candidate since Reagan. We voted for GW but he was not our choice.

[chris37]

http://www.finance.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/TPA%20bill%20text.pdf

[chris37]

What is sad about it?

[itsahoot]

More lies Diogenesis. You don't know that Cruz knew any of those things.

What would it mean if he didn't know any of those things? Hmmmnn.

btw, Cruz is by far the best candidate running or hinting about running, but if we underestimate the power in well spoken populist rhetoric it would be a mistake.

[lulu16]

cripplecreek, you know simply by memory, I remember specific handles from primary season. Do they hibernate during the rest of the time and reanimate just to do their dirty work. They seem to be organized and work diligently on the tread they apply themselves too. They are relentless.