Strange Bedfellow: Republicans and Democrats Side Both Against and For Trade Promotion Authority Bill

Update 2:30 PM The Washington Times reports: "Senate Democrats filibustered Tuesday to block the first major free-trade vote in years, dealing a blow to President Obama and GOP leaders who were pushing a deal in a rare show of bipartisanship, but who once again find themselves struggling with the political fringe."
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Article April 21, 2015

Today in Washington, D.C. - May 12, 2015:
The House is not in session.

The Senate reconvened at 10 AM today. At 2:30, the Senate will vote on cloture on the motion to proceed (i.e. whether to take up and debate) to H.R. 1314, the vehicle for the Trade Promotion Authority bill.

Yesterday, the Senate voted 90-0 to pass S. Con. Res. 16, a resolution concerning American hostages in Iran.

Speaking on the Senate floor this morning, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell urged senators to vote to begin debate on the Trade Promotion Authority bill. He said, "Voting yes to open debate on a 21st Century American trade agenda offers every member of this body the chance to stand up for American workers, American farmers, American entrepreneurs, and American manufacturers. It's a chance to stand with Americans for economic growth, opportunity, and good jobs.

"Selling products stamped 'Made in America' to the many customers who live beyond our borders is key. That's true across our country. It's true in my home state of Kentucky. We know that Kentucky already boasts more than half a million jobs related to trade. We know that nearly a quarter of Kentucky's manufacturing workers depend on exports for their jobs. And we know that manufacturing jobs tied to exports pay about 18% more than non-export related jobs.

"So there's every reason to knock down more unfair international trade barriers and bring more benefits back to Americans, right here at home."

Leader McConnell explained, "We also know how important these types of agreements are to our national security. Especially in the Pacific region. Just last week, seven former defense secretaries from both political parties wrote to express their 'strongest possible support' on the issue. 'The stakes are clear,' they wrote. 'There are tremendous strategic benefits… [and] America's prestige, influence, and leadership are on the line.'

"If we care about preserving and extending American leadership in the 21st Century, then we cannot cede the most dynamic region in the world to China. It's true from a national security perspective. And it's true from an economic perspective.

"But first, we need fair and enforceable trade legislation that expands congressional oversight over the Administration and sets clear rules and procedures for our trade negotiators. We have all those things in the Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities and Accountability Act – a bill that passed out of the Finance Committee, 20 to 6, with strong support from both parties."

He added, "If there are Senators with concerns about particular details of the trade agenda before us, that's all the more reason to vote to debate it. Let's have those conversations in an open and transparent way. Let's give the American people a full-throated debate on an important issue.

"But we can't debate any of the provisions Senators want to consider if they vote to filibuster even getting on this bill. So I'm calling on colleagues to prove they're serious about wanting to pass legislation, rather than simply looking for new and creative ways to defeat legislation. Voting to proceed is the way to prove it."

Unfortunately, a large number of Democrats, who are warring with President Obama over his trade agenda, seem poised to try to filibuster moving forward on this bill.

Democrat minority leader Harry Reid is threatening to filibuster bringing the debate on the Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) bill. Reid may be considering it may be inevitable that Republican president may be elected in 2016. Under TPA the president is able to negotiate trade deals and submit them for an up-or-down vote in Congress without amendments. Without TPA, any deal Mr. Obama struck would be open to amendment in Congress, making it almost impossible for potential trade partner countries to negotiate with the U.S. It President Obama was not a lame duck, the dems would be pushing for passage of TPA.

However, both conservatives and liberals are questioning whether trade helps U.S. workers and question the statistics from business groups such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, White House economists and others.

ARRA News Service reported last week that Americans for Limited Government and billionaire Donald Trump are opposing the Trade Promotion Authority & Trans-Pacific Partnership. "Americans for Limited Government announced a series of brand new radio advertisements featuring Donald J. Trump that will air nationally with an initial emphasis on New Hampshire and South Carolina. The ad, in which Mr. Trump calls on Republican leaders to stop passage of the Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) and the pending Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), will be broadcast statewide in New Hampshire and South Carolina followed next week by a national rollout. The ad will educate Americans on the detrimental ramifications of these proposed agreements and the combined determination of Americans for Limited Government and Trump to defeat any deal that harms the protection and creation of American jobs.

"Donald J. Trump said, 'Yet again, the politicians are allowing our president to reinforce the lack of respect countries like China and Japan now have for the United States. They will devalue their currency, exploit our trade agreements, continue to destroy our economy and put Americans out of work. Politicians are all talk and no action. Instead of fast tracking TPP, Congress should pass legislation that holds China and Japan accountable for currency manipulation. This would send a message to the world that there are consequences for cheating the United States. It's time for action. It's time to Make America Great Again!'"

Phyllis Schlafly, a noted conservative who has helped write the Republican platforms in the past, is also opposing Fast Track and TPP. A couple points from her latest article reported today follows:"The text of TPP emphasizes that it is a "living agreement." . . . that means the text of TPP can be changed in major and minor ways by executive action after Congress passes the document. The TPP could, for example, add additional countries, such as Communist China, which for years has been cheating America coming and going.

"TPP will facilitate the expanded movement of foreign workers into the United States. TPP opens the door to more waves of illegal immigrants and allows Obama to make future changes without any congressional oversight or expiration date. . . .

"Fast Track will increase our trade deficits, which reduce economic growth. Economists have estimated that the last trade deal, which we made with South Korea and which is the template for TPP, wiped out 50,000 American jobs. . . .

"As former Nucor Steel Chairman Daniel DiMicco said, free trade is really 'unilateral trade disarmament and enablement of foreign mercantilism.' . . ."

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