Fast Track Authority now appears to be on 'Life Support' -- now that Democrats in Congress, chose not to fold under pressure. They instead chose to stand with Unions and American Workers, and Voted down the TPA's (Trade Promotion Authority) companion Bill, the TAA (Trade Adjustment Assistance), unexpectedly today.
One has to wonder if the TPP is so good for American Workers -- why do we need a companion Bill, the pretends to "retrain them" -- once those inevitable TPP Lay-offs hit home ...
Shhh! ... It's a 'trade secret' ...
Democrats reject Obama on trade
by Eric Bradner and Deirdre Walsh, CNN -- June 12, 2015
Washington (CNN) -- Sensing his free trade agenda was hours from a stunning defeat, President Barack Obama went to Capitol Hill on Friday morning to make a personal plea for his own party's support.
Democrats ignored him.
[...]
"Our people would rather have a job than trade assistance," Pelosi said. "Its defeat, sad to say, is the only way that we will be able to slow down the fast track."
[...]
"The President tried to both guilt people and impugn their integrity. I was insulted," Rep. Peter Defazio, D-Oregon, told reporters after the meeting.
[...]
House Rejects Trade Bill, Rebuffing Obama’s Dramatic Appeal
by Jonathan Weisman, NYTimes.com -- June 12, 2015
[...]
There is still a possibility that the House will pass the worker assistance bill early next week and send to Mr. Obama, but it would require dozens of Republicans or Democrats changing their votes, a prospect Republicans said was remote.
“We are not done with this,” said Representative Kevin McCarthy of California, the majority leader. The hope is that Democrats, faced with the prospect of trade promotion authority passing the Senate without the worker assistance provisions, will reverse course.
[...]
But after a rare and resounding victory, the left wing of his party showed no sign of relenting. A large coalition of labor, environmental groups, liberal activists and faith groups promised to keep the pressure on Democrats to stay the course, relishing their win, demanding that lawmakers spurn the president or risk a primary challenge.
[...]
So
THAT's what a Democratic Party standing up for
The People looks like. More please.
It appears the Be-good-democratic-soldiers coalition is fraying ...
Obama Hits the Hill to Lobby Democrats on Trade (Video) (Updated)
by Emma Dumain, rollcall.com -- June 12, 2015
President Barack Obama made a last-minute trip to Capitol Hill Friday morning to deliver one more plea to fellow Democrats to advance his trade agenda
[...]
Obama, accompanied by Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Rep. James E. Clyburn of South Carolina, went into a closed-door meeting shortly before 10 a.m. The president left 37 minutes later.
In the meeting, Obama told Democrats “to ‘play it straight,'” Rep. Mike Quigley, D-Ill., said. “I would put it another way: It’s disingenuous to vote against TAA because you don’t like trade.”
[...]
“Now President Obama wants to talk?” Keith Ellison, D-Minn., tweeted.
[...]
The implication being, after all
the corporate wheeling-&-dealing IN SECRET --
NOW the President 'wants to talk' --
WHEN he desperately needs their Votes!?
That is not really the way to foster Trust ... nor build mutual respect either.
Again CNN posts an updated story about the 'breaking news' Democratic-Workers united front ...
by Stephen Collinson, CNN -- June 12, 2015
[...]
Another Democrat told CNN's Jake Tapper on condition of anonymity that the president's speech was "fine until he turned it at the end and became indignant and alienated some folks. Bottom line, he may have swayed some Democrats to vote yes, but Pelosi sealed the deal to vote no."
Another Democrat in the meeting agreed that Obama had actually hurt the chances of the bill going through.
"Democrats believe they often are taken for granted and not appreciated," this second House Democrat told Tapper. "There was a very strong concern about the lost jobs and growing income inequality."
The House Democrats' vote against Obama also signals that the traditional political coalition that has seen trade deals with China, Vietnam, South Korea and Panama come into force over the last 15 years is fraying.
[...]
Good, let it fray into a million pieces. Let the multi-national 'masters of the universe' return back to their countries of origin;
and begin the long overdue work of Nation-Building -- at Home!
That's what the American People expect. That is what the American People deserve, too.
After so many decades of out-sourcing our Jobs to the lowest international bidders ... may the instigators of that bait-and-switch 'Race to the Bottom' system, fray into a million and one pieces too.
The People willing, and involved, it will.