Barack Obama admits fast-track legislation will grant him power to implement his climate change agenda

 For some reason many of the Republicans in the Congress are willing to give more power to Barack Obama through a deal which is known as the TPA. If this legislation is passed it will allow the President to bring trade agreements to the Congress for a straight up or down vote and the Congress will not have the authority to amend the deals.

  This is being debated mainly to fast-track Barack Obama’s super secret Trans-Pacific Partnership deal but from what I have read it will also apply to future trade deals as well.

  Despite earlier denials Barack Obama has now admitted this will grant him the power to push his climate change agenda.

  Here is more:

During the interview with host Kai Ryssdal of Marketplace, Obama said, “If we want to solve something like climate change, which is one of my highest priorities, then I’ve got to be able to get into places like Malaysia, and say to them, this is in your interest.”

“What leverage do I have to get them to stop deforestation?” he asked. “Well part of the leverage is, if I’m in a trade relationship with them, that allows me to raise standards, now they have to start thinking about how quick they’re chopping down their forests and what kinds of standards they need to apply to environmental conservation.”

“So, we have to engage, not withdraw,” the president stated.

  Of course what the President omitted here is that if a country is going to give up something in regards to climate change they are going to be looking for and expecting something in return. This will not be a one way street so what is Barack Obama willing to give up in return? Well, I guess that is a secret as well.

  With this admission from Barack Obama Paul Ryan has now introduced an amendment which would prohibit the President from negotiating climate change using fast-track authority, here is more on that:

If House Republicans get their way, president Obama won’t be able to use any trade pact to strike a deal on climate change.

Late Tuesday evening, House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Paul Ryan of Wisconsin offered up an amendment to a customs bill that would “ensure that trade agreements do not require changes to U.S. law or obligate the United States with respect to global warming or climate change.”

  Okay, I have to admit I am a little confused here: the Republicans want to grant Barack Obama the authority to bring trade agreements to the Congress for an up or down vote without amendments but now they are trying to amend the TPA agreement before he has this authority to limit his authority?

  Does that make any sense whatsoever? It seems to me that if the Republicans want to limit what the President can use fast-track authority on they would be better off not granting him this power in the first place. If they are worried about what he is going to do with that power why bother giving it to him in the first place? Am I missing something here because it certainly seems like they are trying to have it both ways…

Malo periculosam libertatem quam quietum servitium