This diary attempts to unravel 10 miles of fishing line in House floor action today that was similar to a bowl full of tangled TAA-TPA-Intelligence, FY2016-TPP spaghetti noodles. Let's play our game!
This morning the House voted 236-189 to extend by 6 weeks! the re-vote deadline to July 30 for the Speaker's motion of last Friday to reconsider the vote of concurring on the TAA. Shocker!
explanation:
Boehner had fled the floor after the eruptive TAA defeat vote --- then after 219 - 211 TPA passage Boehner came back to the floor (video here slide forward to 3:00:20 [time on clock upper right shows actual time = 10:56 am PT] and let it run to 3:02:06 when action suspended ) with the motion of his own to reconsider the previous vote of concurring on the TAA.
Then Sander Levin {MI-9 & ranking minority member of Ways & Means Cmte.} called for a recorded vote on The Speaker's historic motion. ------- It was historic in that a Speaker almost never delivers a motion like that from the Chair position. The explanation given by the C-SPAN anchor (video at 3:03:19 to 3:04:23 during the vote on H.R.644 Customs Enforcement. The title of H.R.644 is Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015, popularly referred to as Customs Enforcement and in it are what some consider to be poison pills that are in H.R.644 instead of H.R.1314 because, had they been placed in H.R.1314, the TPA portion would have been defeated as well as the TAA portion.
Today's floor action on Intelligence, FY2016 reset the clock on
Democrats helping Obama to save his legacy from himself.
In today's floor action on
Intelligence, FY2016 (video
here, slide forward to 0:39:03) Alcee Hastings [FL-20] noted that the Rule for H.R.2596, Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016
PROVIDES THAT THE MOTION TO RECONSIDER THE VOTE ON PASSAGE OF THE TRADE ADJUSTMENT ASSISTANCE MEASURE MAY CONTINUE TO BE POSTPONED UNTIL THE END OF THE LEGISLATIVE DAY ON JULY 30.
... (Rep. Hastings later continued to say) ... AT LAST NIGHT'S RULES COMMITTEE MEET, MY FRIENDS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE AISLE DECIDED TO MAKE A LAST-MINUTE CHANGE TO TODAY'S RULE. I MIGHT ADD, FURTHER POLLUTE TODAY'S RULE. THAT LAST MINUTE CHANGE ALLOWS FOR THE POSTPONEMENT OF THE MOTION TO RECONSIDER T.A.A. OVER THE COURSE OF MY TENURE IN CONGRESS, I VOTED TO SUPPORT THOUSANDS OF PIECES OF LEGISLATION. IN THE 20-PLUS YEARS I HAVE SERVED IN THIS BODY, I CAN THINK OF ONLY THREE VOTES WHICH I DEEPLY REGRET MAKING, AND ONE OF THOSE WAS IN SUPPORT OF NAFTA. IN THE YEARS SINCE, I'VE SEEN AFTER NAFTA A DECREASE IN AMERICAN JOBS, A ROLLBACK OF CRITICAL ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTIONS HERE AND IN MEXICO WHERE I WAS PROMISED THAT THE ENVIRONMENTAL CIRCUMSTANCES WOULD BE CLEANED UP AND THEY WERE NOT. AND A STAGNATION OF WAGES THAT HAVE PREVENTED THE FINANCIAL UPWARD MOBILITY OF WORKING CLASS AND MIDDLE CLASS AMERICANS AND HAS GROUND POOR AMERICAN INTO POVERTY BEYOND BELIEF. IF WE'RE GOING TO CREATE TRADE POLICY THAT IS WORTHY OF FUTURE GENERATIONS, THEN WE MUST ENSURE THAT THAT POLICY STRENGTHENS, NOT WEAKENS, LABOR RIGHTS. IT MUST STRENGTHEN, NOT WEAKEN, ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION. IT MUST ENSURE OTHER COUNTRIES' RESPONSIBILITY TO ADHERE TO BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS. IT MUST EXPAND AND STRENGTHEN OUR MIDDLE CLASS, NOT SQUEEZE HARDWORKING AMERICANS IN FAVOR OF CORPORATE INTERESTS. THE LEGISLATION INCLUDED IN THIS RULE TODAY IS PART OF A TRADE PACKAGE THAT DOES NOTHING TO BOLSTER THESE IMPORTANT PRIORITIES. FINALLY, AS I STATED TIME AND AGAIN, I TAKE ISSUE WITH THE MAN FOR THE WHICH THESE IMPORTANT MEASURES ARE BEING CONSIDERED. LEGISLATION AS IMPORTANT AS THE ONE AT HAND DESERVE AN OPEN AND TRANSPARENT PROCESS WHERE MEMBERS OF BOTH PARTIES AND BOTH HOUSES OF CONGRESS MAY DEBATE AND OFFER AMENDMENTS AS THEY PLEASE. THIS PROCESS ENVISIONED AND DESIGNED BY OUR FOUNDING FATHERS TO SERVE AS A SAFEGUARD TO DEMOCRACY CONTINUES TO BE ERODED BY THE MAJORITY'S INSISTENCE ON GROUPING MULTIPLE UNRELATED BILLS TOGETHER UNDER ONE RULE AND LIMITING THE NUMBER OF AMENDMENTS THAT CAN BE MADE IN ORDER AS WELL AS THE TIME AVAILABLE FOR DEBATE.
So, when the vote on the Rule for H.R. 2596 succeeded, Ryan won extension of Boehner's reconsideration for Trade Assistance Authority (TAA) until July 30th.
We, of course, had our hearts set on the TPA matter being settled by the July 4th break in a rebellious defeat of POTUS, Ryan (Koch Bros./U.S, Chamber of Commerce/AIPAC/etc.), Hatch, Sessions, Boehner, et al. because of these
Recess schedules:
June 27 – July 6 Senate+House, July 31 – September 7 House, August 8 – September 7 Senate, September 19 – 27 House, October 10 – 18 Senate + House, November 6 – 15 House, December 18 Target House Adjournment, Target Senate Adjournment, tbd.
We also see that the President's Budget has been late four out of the last five years and is expected to be late again this year as Congress will doubtless use the days and weeks arguing & delaying action on it.
Rosa DeLauro [CT-3], the tiger of opposition to all things TPA'ish, spoke eloquently on the House floor today (video
here, slide forward to 0:55:05)
"The VOTE ON TRADE ADJUSTMENT ASSISTANCE FAILED IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES LAST FRIDAY BY A 3-1 MARGIN. YET, THIS RULE TODAY WOULD EXTEND THE REVOTE ON TRADE ADJUSTMENT ASSISTANCE THROUGH THE END OF JULY. THIS IS ONE MORE ATTEMPT TO PLAY GAMES WITH THE FUTURE OF HARDWORKING FAMILIES. AMERICAN WORKERS DEMAND AND THEY DESERVE RESPECT, THEY DESERVE A LIVING WAGE, AND THE RIGHT NOT TO HAVE THEIR JOB SHIPPED OVERSEAS. THAT IS WHAT WE ARE UNITED IN FIGHTING FOR. A VOTE FOR THIS RULE IS A VOTE FOR FAST TRACK, A VOTE FOR FAST STRACK A VOTE AGAINST JOBS AND AGAINST WAGES. THE UNITED STATES TRADE POLICY HAS BEEN FAILING AMERICAN WORKERS. FAILING AMERICAN CONSUMERS AND FAMILIES FOR 20 YEARS. THE U.S.-KOREA FREE TRADE AGREEMENT HAS ALREADY COST UP TO 75,000 JOBS. AND IT WAS JUST PASSED THREE YEARS AGO. UP TO FIVE MILLION JOBS HAVE BEEN DESTROYED BY CURRENCY MANIPULATION. AND A NUMBER OF THE SIGNATORIES TO THIS TRADE AGREEMENT, THEIR POLICY IS TO MANIPULATE THEIR COUNTRY, TO HAVE THEIR GOODS SOLD AT A LOWER PRICE THAN AMERICAN GOODS, PUTTING AMERICAN WORKERS OUT OF JOBS AND LOWERING THEIR WAGES. JOSEPH STIEGLITZ, THE NOBLE LAUREATE IN ECONOMICS HAS WRITTEN, INEQUALITY IS NOT INEVITABLE. IT IS A CHOICE WE MAKE WITH THE RULES WE CREATE TO STRUCTURE OUR ECONOMY. TRADE POLICY IS ONE OF THOSE CHOICES. AND IF WE APPROVE FAST TRACK, WE THROW AWAY OUR ABILITY, OUR CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY, TO REPRESENT THE PEOPLE WHO SENT US HERE IN GOOD FAITH. WE THROW AWAY THAT ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO FIX THE FLAWS IN THE TRADE AGREEMENT, LIKE THE TRANSPACIFIC PARTNERSHIP, TO THE DETRIMENT OF MILLIONS OF AMERICAN FAMILIES. I URGE A NO VOTE ON THIS RULE.
Then see Lloyd Dogett [TX-35] immediately following Ms. DeLauro as he also worked to stop this disastrous spy bill infected with trade deal trash.
~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~
The House today (Tuesday) also passed H.R.2596, Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016, that contained many interesting items including:
Declassification of bin Laden documents
In May 2015, the Office of the Director for National Intelligence began to implement Section 313 of the Fiscal Year 2014 Intelligence Authorization Act by declassifying 86 intelligence reports the Intelligence Community generated based on materials collected in Abbottabad, Pakistan, during the mission that killed Usama Bin Laden. The Committee continues to support fulsome access for citizens, academics, journalists, and historians to the documents so long as declassification does not negatively impact current intelligence operations, sources, methods, potential Federal Bureau of Investigation investigations, judicial proceedings, or other national security interests. Despite several briefings on the topic, the Committee still lacks sufficient understanding of what materials were collected in the May 1, 2011 raid.
Therefore, the Committee directs the Central Intelligence Agency, within 60 days of the enactment of this Act, to provide the congressional intelligence committees with all intelligence reports based on the documents collected in the May 1, 2011 raid that killed Usama Bin Laden.
As with any legislative initiative, you can learn a lot more from inspecting the Report that comes with the bill. Here is the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence R E P O R T together with MINORITY VIEWS [To accompany H.R. 2596].
COMMITTEE STATEMENT AND VIEWS
The Fiscal Year 2016 intelligence authorization bill funds all U.S. intelligence activities, spanning 16 separate agencies. It provides authorization for critical national security functions, including: fighting terrorism and countering the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction; funding efforts to recover from unauthorized disclosures of intelligence capabilities; sustaining activities in Afghanistan and Iraq; investing in the resiliency of our national security space architecture; providing policy direction on sensitive intelligence operations; promoting intelligence integration through investment in Intelligence Community-wide information technology enterprises; augmenting military-related intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities; and funding initiatives to prevent cyber-attacks and detect insider threats.
This bill sustains today’s intelligence capabilities and provides for future capabilities while staying within the funding constraints of the Budget Control Act (BCA). For Fiscal Year 2016, the bill authorizes funding that is slightly below the President’s budget request level.
As most of the intelligence budget involves highly classified programs, the bulk of this Committee’s recommendations each year are found in the classified annexes to the bill.
That last sentence about how
the bulk of this Committee’s recommendations each year are found in the classified annexes to the bill. is of significance in this diary that attempts to unravel 10 miles of fishing line seen as similar to a spaghetti bowl full of tangled
TAA-TPA-Intelligence, FY2016 noodles.
Every week Members of Congress make serendipitous discovery from each other of ever newer triple-plus-super-secret balls and mounds of toxic "Trade Deal" stuff in a way resembling a slow motion unicorn stampede of the various TPP-TTIP-TISA "Annexes" not ever meant for exposure to daylight just like those classified annexes to the Intelligence, FY2016 bill.
The lies and magic shows on Trade, National Security, Border Enforcement, Food Security, Environmental Protection, U.S. Foreign Relations and more have to STOP.
.
Obama has gotta stop listening to USTR Froman who has given us Geitner, Summers, and all the rest of Obama's unbelievably bad oligarchy-favoring advice ever since Froman was on the 2008 Obama transition team.
Mr. Obama: Throw that bum out and you may yet save your legacy. Keep him in and your legacy, already so burned, will be less than a cinder.
Hillary, listen to Bernie who has decades more legislative and administrative experience than you.
.