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Harry Reid says ‘hell no’ to Barack Obama’s attempt to fast-track Trans-Pacific Partnership legislation

April 21, 2015
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 Barack Obama is trying to fast-track legislation named the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and is calling for a vote on the legislation this year. I have to admit that I do not know much about this legislation but it is being met with quite a bit of opposition. Here is what the opponents of the legislation have to say about it:

The TPP is a massive, controversial “free trade” agreement currently being pushed by big corporations and negotiated behind closed doors by officials from the United States and 11 other countries – Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam.

The TPP would expand the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) “trade” pact model that has spurred massive U.S. trade deficits and job loss, downward pressure on wages, unprecedented levels of inequality and new floods of agricultural imports. The TPP not only replicates, but expands NAFTA’s special protections for firms that offshore U.S. jobs. And U.S. TPP negotiators literally used the 2011 Korea FTA – under which exports have fallen and trade deficits have surged – as the template for the TPP.

Although it is called a “free trade” agreement, the TPP is not mainly about trade. Of TPP’s 29 draft chapters, only five deal with traditional trade issues. One chapter would provide incentives to offshore jobs to low-wage countries. Many would impose limits on government policies that we rely on in our daily lives for safe food, a clean environment, and more. Our domestic federal, state and local policies would be required to comply with TPP rules.

The TPP would even elevate individual foreign firms to equal status with sovereign nations, empowering them to privately enforce new rights and privileges, provided by the pact, by dragging governments to foreign tribunals to challenge public interest policies that they claim frustrate their expectations. The tribunals would be authorized to order taxpayer compensation to the foreign corporations for the “expected future profits” they surmise would be inhibited by the challenged policies.

We only know about the TPP’s threats thanks to leaks – the public is not allowed to see the draft TPP text. Even members of Congress, after being denied the text for years, are now only provided limited access. Meanwhile, more than 500 official corporate “trade advisors” have special access. The TPP has been under negotiation for six years, and the Obama administration wants to sign the deal this year. Opposition to the TPP is growing at home and in many of the other countries involved.

  And many unions and even some prominent Democrats also oppose this legislation: Barack Obama said that liberal icon Elizabeth Warren was “simply wrong” about the facts of the deal, and even socialist Bernie Sanders called the deal “disastrous.”

  And now Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid has weighed in on Barack Obama’s attempt to fast-track TPP, when asked if he supported the legislation he said, “not only no, but hell no.”

  With so many Democrats opposing TPP why is Barack Obama pushing it so hard? Who is the “middle class warrior” in bed with? And on a side note, Harry Reid had better be careful or he might end up with another black eye…

Malo periculosam libertatem quam quietum servitium

from → Politics
29 Comments leave one →
  1. swo8's avatar
    swo8 permalink
    April 21, 2015 8:20 pm

    When they try to fast track things, it means it would stand the light of day. They’ve sold us out once again!
    Leslie

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  2. futuret's avatar
    futuret permalink
    April 21, 2015 8:23 pm

    IF THAT IS THE CASE, THEN WAY IS REID SO APPROVING OF THE ILLEGALS. SEEMS TO ME, THIS IS NOT A DOUBLE DECKER CHEESEBURGER, IT IS A DOUBLE DECKER LIE.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  3. Laura Bernard Mielcarek's avatar
    Laura Bernard Mielcarek permalink
    April 21, 2015 8:25 pm

    Thanks for bring us this information, Steve. I’m stunned that Reid and I agree about something. We cannot let this happen!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  4. agent provocateur's avatar
    agent provocateur permalink
    April 21, 2015 10:18 pm

    Reblogged this on Nevada State Personnel Watch.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  5. bunkerville's avatar
    bunkerville permalink
    April 21, 2015 11:51 pm

    When I hear the words “trade” and our buffons are negotiating the deal, we have to know we are on the losing end. I guess they have done away with the “Free trade” lingo.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  6. lou222's avatar
    lou222 permalink
    April 22, 2015 2:36 pm

    The simple fact that it is a shoot off of NAFTA, is what sends up a red flag to me. When the Democrats are against it, there MUST be something very wrong.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • Steve Dennis's avatar
      Steve Dennis permalink*
      April 22, 2015 7:29 pm

      Might as well drive the last nail into the coffin of the American worker I guess…

      Like

      Reply
      • lou222's avatar
        lou222 permalink
        April 22, 2015 8:56 pm

        This, all while the unions are blaming the Republicans for their problems. They have bigger problems than the Republicans, if they only opened their eyes and looked.

        Liked by 1 person

      • Steve Dennis's avatar
        Steve Dennis permalink*
        April 23, 2015 5:49 am

        So true Lou, the unions need to wake up for this is not the first time Obama has let them down. They are still upset over Obamacare because they found out the hard way they were not exempt. They are being played…

        Liked by 1 person

  7. Dr. Jeff's avatar
    Dr. Jeff permalink
    April 23, 2015 6:02 pm

    Crazy. I didn’t like the TPP before, now with even Harry Reid delaying it, I figure it’s got to be even worse than I knew.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

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  1. Dick Morris claims the Trans-Pacific Partnership includes ‘unrestricted immigration’ | America's Watchtower

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