You may have heard that the U.S. Senate passed a bill last night that gives the president fast-track (or trade promotion) authority on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement. I wouldn’t assume, however, that this was a solid step forward towards eventual passage of the treaty. Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ), who is serving in the Senate under indictment for corruption, successfully added an amendment to the bill that would bar Malyasia from being a party to the treaty because of their record on using slave labor. The whole story on the amendment and its likely effect is a lot more complicated, but the simple way of understanding it is that it throws a big obstacle into the path to final passage of the bill.
If the human trafficking language isn’t stripped or modified substantially, it will put the administration in the position of choosing between accepting defeat or disingenuously re-designating Malaysia as a less serious human rights offender. In other words, this language, if it remains, has just massively upped the political and moral cost of signing the TPP bill.
There were several other attempts to poison the bill that failed, including one by Republican Senator Jeff Flake that reportedly would have stripped funding to provide “job training and financial aid to workers who lose their jobs to international trade.” Obviously, if that had passed it would have killed off the already quite limited Democratic support for the treaty.
The House Republican leadership says that they need more Democratic votes if they are going to pass a version of the TPP, and they’re cajoling the president to do more to round them up. They’re also thinking of adding some kind of immigration poison pill amendment to try to round up more of their own votes. If the House poisons the bill will anti-immigrant language, that, too, will have to be stripped.
Perhaps these headaches can be ironed out in the Conference Committee between the House and Senate, assuming that the House can pass some version of the TPP, but if you are an odds-maker, you’re probably thinking that the TPP is less likely to become law than it was before the Senate acted last night.
I’m okay with that. Are you?
Nobody REALLY Knows What Is In This Piece Of Legislation. We Do Know That It Gives Corporations (Or At Least Allegedly) Sovereignty Over Nation States As Far As The Resolutions Of Trade Disputes. I Don’t Think That Is A Particularly Good Idea. This Whole Thing Should Be “Redone” — Transparently For All To See!
Shucks, that human trafficking thing is no biggie. They’ve passed worse.
Just to be clear, the bill does not “pass the TPP” or approve any treaty. The treaty, if there ever is one, will still have to be approved by the Senate. What this does is give the prez the opportunity to present the treaty as a fait acompli for a straight up and down vote. He can still present the senate with a treaty without this legislation, but they’ll be able to demand amendments.
since the TPP isn’t final yet, yes I do have a problem with it
There is a possibility that this could fix NAFTA, I want to wait to see it before making a decision.
It all depends on how many members of Congress are willing to look the other way on human trafficking.
I am surprised that the poison pill slipped through while the news media was focused on the Export-Import Bank.
I’m also surprised that McConnell got stiffed on PATRIOT Reauthorization.
Like you, I think making both of these permanent is a good thing.
sorry, not clear, “both of these” – you are referring to the poison pill? Export-Import? nixing Patriot?
fascinating that Menendez accomplished something constructive. I’ve been puzzled about Obama and TPP since it seems obvious it’s problematic. Has he been supporting it in order to give Warren and Sanders a platform? because it’s free since likely to fail? trolling the republicans whose overlords insist they push it?
Hatred of the TPP is just as xeonophobic and wrong as hatred of immigration reform, I’d also say it’s racist.
This is a chance to help left millions of Asian workers out of poverty. Sure this means they will compete with Americans, but as with immigration hatred of job competition is racist, and it is doubly so here.
Racist middle class whites don’t matter, so opposition to the TPP does no matter. Pass TPP, grand bargain on cutting entitlements and reducing taxes, do it now and let’s give the first black president his legacy.
he has a legacy, it’s called Obamacare
I think you mean billions of Asian workers,
here’s a link fyi
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/05/23/1386883/-This-week-in-the-war-on-workers-Who-gets-the-benef
its-of-trade-deals
Up yours!
TPP accomplishes any of this how, exactly? It doesn’t reduce barriers to entry. It doesn’t allow those Asian workers to move here. All it does is allow capital flight to play a race to the bottom which benefits no one but the capitalist class.
All I see is concern trolling about their plight. If anyone actually cared about those immigrant workers, we’d empower them in and of themselves, not the capitalists.
SiDC, Obviously your here to stand out.