Reid Announces Opposition to 'Fast Track' on Trade

[antigop]

Source: Wall Street Journal

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D., Nev.) broke with the White House Wednesday and said he opposed legislation aimed at smoothing the passage of free-trade agreements, instantly imperiling two major trade deals being negotiated with Asian and European partners.

The move spells big problems for ongoing talks with Asia-Pacific countries and the European Union because both deals likely would have required such a "fast-track" approval to clear the U.S. Congress.

"I'm against fast track," Mr. Reid told reporters on Tuesday. "I think everyone would be well-advised just not to push this right now."

Read more: http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303743604579350963039911616

---

"well-advised just not to push this RIGHT NOW"????

Geez, Harry -- let's not EVER push it!

[villager]

1. Lord knows, this is a White House that needs to be broken with... by any Democrat with a shred of

"progressive agenda" left in 'em...

[loudsue]

69. Please please please EVERYONE call Harry Reid's office and thank him & e-mail

all your representatives and senators to tell them to stand with Harry on this issue! We already got screwed by NAFTA, and we REALLY DON'T WANT the TPP. Not even if it is slow-tracked!

[nilram]

78. And if you want to go so far as to contribute to his reelection...

https://secure.harryreid.com/page/contribute/webdefault09

I wonder if lefties as a group started contributing ten bucks to representatives that did the right thing, when they did it, if they'd get the hint.

[loudsue]

79. That is a really good idea!

We need to start a super PAC -- or whatever-- for that purpose.

[RussBLib]

2. Good for you, Harry!

With all the (bad) experience we have had with trade deals (NAFTA, WTO), it's borderline criminal to push more of them. Every time, they claim the deals will add more jobs in the U.S. They never do. The U.S. loses jobs. Other countries gain the jobs. AND our trade deficit goes UP not down as claimed. About the only GOOD thing that these deals bring is marginally higher wages for those in dirt-poor countries. This is a good thing. But at the expense of U.S. jobs? That's a hard sell.

Now, Vietnam is the focus. They can provide much cheaper wages than the Chinese sweatshops, so, surprise! Vietnam is a big partner in the TPP. How many countries after Vietnam are left that can provide the lower wages our multinationals crave? Who is left? Africa?

If politicians sold it honestly and said it would cost U.S. jobs and increase our trade deficit, they would never pass. So, they lie.

[rhett o rick]

19. Their idea is that the world should share the poverty. Oligarchy. nm

edit to fix one of my pet peeves - "there" instead of "their" or vice a versa.

[Phlem]

24. Spot on!

-p

[TBF]

70. They can think that -

but as long as we have the internet we can organize against them. If we add in all the overseas labor (and some of those folks are much better at protesting then folks are over here) we may have a chance at it ...

[KeepItReal]

3. Full free Washington Post article link here:

Obama initiatives on trade run into resistance from both sides of the aisle in Senate

Senate leaders from both parties delivered a blow to a core piece of President Obama’s economic agenda only hours after the State of the Union speech, casting doubt on whether he can push a massive new trade program through the current Congress.

Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) told reporters on Capitol Hill that he opposed the “fast track” legislation considered necessary for potential treaties with Pacific and European nations to stand a chance of passage in Congress.

Legislation was recently introduced in both chambers, but a possible change in leadership of the Senate Finance Committee — Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) has been nominated as U.S. ambassador to China — already threatens to slow its progress.

Reid on Wednesday urged the administration “to not push this right now.”

[SammyWinstonJack]

4. Not push this right now? How about kill this right now!

[gLibDem]

75. Not push this right now means push it after the midterms .

[aggiesal]

5. Seen this before . . .

Harry is just trying to bargain for something.
He opposes it now. A deal is made, he's on board.

Let's hope I'm wrong.

[cstanleytech]

16. Ummm actually thats how its supposed to work.

Ya know the varies politicians are supposed to get together and hash it out so a compromise can be reached that most of them can agree on.
In this case hopefully that compromise includes something to either do away with or tone the areas down in the trade agreement that so many here on the DU dislike.

[aggiesal]

28. I agree, but that's not what I think is happening . . .

I believe Harry is holding out for something completely unrelated to the TPP.
Once he gets what he's looking for, he'll back the TPP and allow the fast tracking
of the TPP to proceed.

Again, I hope I'm wrong.

[pa28]

6. If he can delay fast track until after the election it's a huge favor.

That gives time for the document to leak and for opponents to build opposition. Harry stopped SS cuts and now he's helping the public in the same way by stalling TPP.

Reid has earned a tremendous amount of respect and trust from me and I hope we back him up here.

[stillwaiting]

7. Help us Obi-reid kenobi. You're my only hope. nt

[antigop]

9. that was good! nt

[aggiesal]

33. Our hope is with Sen. Bernie Sanders, not Sen. Reid. n/t

[stillwaiting]

44. I was kind of playing. Thanks though.

I too like Sen. Sanders much, much, MUCH more than Reid.

Reid does have some power here though, don't you think?

Not that I would bet much money on him coming through for us, but we can at least try and apply pressure on him.

[aggiesal]

57. Yes Reid does have some power . . .

look at my earlier post #5 above.

[dotymed]

68. Amen!

If we could just forget "party first" politics and elect the person who is best for the majority of Americans, Senator Sanders would be a "shoo in" as our next POTUS.

IMO, Senator Sanders is our last hope for a non-violent revolution to re-distribute the wealth and strengthen America
the world over. He has PROVEN himself as a champion of the "little people" who make up the vast majority of Americans.

It would be THE game changer if Americans would put their political pedigrees aside (Bernie is officially an Independent who
is more Democrat than any democrat of our time) and work to elect Senator Sanders no matter what letter is behind his name.

[juajen]

47. I love this, and we all know, that Reid is a warrior!

[Owl]

8. GOOD!

[madokie]

10. How do we know that the Whitehouse is pushing for this anyway

I'd like to see a link to where the President is saying he supports this. As it stands right now I don't think we even know exactly whats being batted around, for sure
All I've read is a lot of people who really don't know what is in it saying a lot of things that are.
I'd like to know whats in it so I can get my outrage up and running too. I hate being left behind, almost as much as I do faking it. Come on someone whats in this?

[Maedhros]

15. One of the issues with the TPP is that it is negotiated in secret,

therefore details are hard to come by. Wikileaks leaked a proposed draft of the legislation in Nov 2013, which provided insight into what the negotiators are after.

Here is a site dedicated to providing information about the TPP: http://tppinfo.org/

Here are some analyses by various left-leaning organizations:

Natural Resources Defense Council: http://www.nrdc.org/media/2014/140115.asp

TechDirt: http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20131113/08405625230/tpp-ip-chapter-leaked-confirming-its-worse-than-acta.shtml

Electronic Frontier Foundation: https://www.eff.org/issues/tpp

Public Citizen (Warning: PDF): http://www.citizen.org/documents/Leaked-TPP-Investment-Analysis.pdf

Medicin Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders): http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/news/article.cfm?id=7145

[madokie]

18. How do we even know it exist?

I fail to see a reason to get all outraged out at this point in time

We're back to the same o place. Like I said a lot of people are saying a lot of things but none of them really know. Do they?

I'd really like to get a mad on too but I hate to waste one for nothing

[Phlem]

22. If it doesn't exist What the fuck is he trying to fast track?

-p

[madokie]

27. My point is

I really find it hard to believe that Obama will try to pull a fast one on us. He's been working 5 years trying to help us only to be rebuffed at every turn. Is that his fault that pukes won't work with him? He seems pretty f*ing reasonable to me

[Phlem]

30. He also just said

He would go around congress if there is gridlock, he's got his pen and a phone. Sounds like he had his magic wand the whole time, or just found it after 5 years.

Just some numbers for ya

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/27-shocking-numbers-that-reveal-the-true-state-of-the-union-20140128?utm_source=dailynewsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter

No he makes his actions seem reasonable. No one's going to come right out and say I'm going to screw the American people.

-p

[Distant Quasar]

29. How do we know anything, really?

I mean, it's all just a matter of opinion. It's not as if we can go on the Internet and see what has been reported on the TPP and the draft documents that have been leaked and informed analyses of what it is about. That's like, science fiction.

[X_Digger]

54. How do I know you're not just a figment of my imagination! Or a computer program! ;)

Yeah, I don't fall for the 'well we can't see it until it's done, therefore we shouldn't care until then' posters, either.

[mopinko]

46. ++++

beat me for what i did, sure, but for what you think i am going to do, what my offspring do, what my ancestors did, what you are sure i ran on in the last election? get a life.

[quakerboy]

51. How do we know you exist?

Will you ever see a reason to get outraged at any point in time?

We have a fair idea of what the tpp is based on leaks that are publicly available.

Based on what should be be complacent and avoid participating in the process and trying to alert others to the potential issues upcoming? The many (Any?) trade agreements that have been good for workers? The many instances of how workers rights and opportunities have been improved and increased in the past 20 years?

The problem is that once a thing goes into effect, its a little late to get outraged. Ask the the elected Republicans how they are liking their chances of actually repealing the ACA now that its in effect. Once a treaty like the leaks tend to indicate is being negotiated is signed into law, the fix is pretty well in and its too late to do anything about it. Think about Nafta and how much pushback there was when they tried to have a conversation about undoing some of that harm.

But you go on pretending nothing bad ever happens. Im sure everything will all be all right if we just do nothing!

[antigop]

26. You might want to add a video by Bill Moyers to your list

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1017155918

[Maedhros]

42. Good catch - thank you. [n/t]

[aggiesal]

34. Link to the leaked TPP draft from wikileaks . . .

http://wikileaks.org/tpp-enviro/

[madokie]

36. Thanks

I'll peruse it later this evening, right now I have to do my go getter duties and go get my wife from work. She fell and broke her right knee cap about three weeks ago so she can't bend her knee to drive.
Thanks for the link

[aggiesal]

38. WOW, sorry to hear about your wife. . .

Tell her next time not to fall.

[madokie]

43. I'm afraid to

She's not liking it one bit. 61 year old Nurse with a broken knee cap. The good thing is she is one of the office girls so she still gets to work.

[aggiesal]

37. Link from the White House website . . .

http://m.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/11/12/fact-sheet-united-states-trans-pacific-partnership

[madokie]

39. Thank you

I'll check it out a little later as right now I'm waiting for that phone call from my wife to come get her from work. My wife fell and broke her right knee cap at work three weeks ago and can't drive right now so I get to be a real go getter, for a while anyway

[X_Digger]

53. We know the administration supports it- it was alluded to last night in the SOTU. n/t

[bemildred]

11. Attaboy Harry. Let's have a real debate. nt

[livingwagenow]

12. Good. knr nt

[Maedhros]

13. But, Harry, are you for or against the TPP itself?

Against fast-track: Good.

Against the TPP on principle: Better.

[mindwalker_i]

14. Oh no! Harry has ODS!

[yourout]

17. Good......if you kill the fast track you probably kill the TPP.

Hopefully once people find out what is actually in this monstrosity there will be enough of an uproar to stop it in it's tracks.

[rhett o rick]

20. Good for Sen Reid. How are the other Senators lining up. I cant get my two

to respond and I live in Washington the State.

[MannyGoldstein]

59. Warren's been fighting the thing (of course)

http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/congress-dont-renew-fast?source=s.fwd&r_by=9499144

[rhett o rick]

60. Yes I am aware of her stance. I had one of "The Group" try to insinuate that Sen Warren supported

Pres Obama's stance because she made some kind words about his SOTU address. The Group are getting desperate for things to throw at those opposing the TCP and the TPP.

[MannyGoldstein]

61. Oh, the Warren=Obama thing is a hoot

Very creative.

Today's yammering point.

[Phlem]

21. No Shit

I swear to god they must think we're all that stupid.

[rhett o rick]

71. Yes but they also know we cant do anything to stop them. nm

[Scootaloo]

23. I like that reid found his spine

I just wish he could have found it back during the Bush Administration. Oh well.

[Distant Quasar]

25. Best news I've heard all day

If Reid sticks to his guns, this thing may be dead in the water. The lack of fast track will erode U.S. leverage at the talks and undermine other governments' confidence that Obama can get the agreement passed. They have their own opposition to contend with - see what's been happening in Japan. No one wants to go out on a limb for a U.S. administration that can't deliver.

[NancyDL]

31. Great News!

Thank goodness someone is willing to stand up against this. I'm in Canada. Our PM is running after these trade deals like a dawg chasing cars. Of course, the average people won't benefit. They never do.

[DLnyc]

32. Okay, this is good news

Surprised that Harry found his spine on this, but glad to hear it!

[proReality]

35. He probably means they shouldn't push it before the election

or it could ruin the chances of Dems winning.

[rhett o rick]

72. I am afraid that's what he means. After the election, full speed ahead. nm

[BelgianMadCow]

77. Hmmmm. That coincides with the delay on the TTIP

by an announced "time-out for public consultation" on the ISDS-chapter in the TTIP.

[frwrfpos]

40. K and R

Hope this is true and Reid stymies this piece of shit TPP

[Jack Rabbit]

41. Thank you, Senator Reid

Thank you very much.

[tritsofme]

45. Harry Reid's words change with the wind.

I don't take this to mean much of anything. TPA would sail through the Senate, it will live or die in the House.

[BlueStreak]

48. Furthermore, put all consideration of any part of TPP in line behind

gun safety legislation, immigration reform, infrastructure investment, and filling all vacancies in the Executive Branch for starters.

[woo me with science]

49. Not "right now."

It's an election year, after all.

The Third Way are predators, but they *try* to be slick and manipulative about it.

[Lasher]

50. How I have longed for a principled leader who would say, "No fast track, not ever for either party."

I have come to realize that I will go to my grave with this unfulfilled dream.

[X_Digger]

52. Attaboy, Reid!

Assuming it's not just posturing, I commend him.

[Hoyt]

55. Thank god. I'd been told our corporate overlords had it greased to sail through without review.

[MannyGoldstein]

56. You heard it here first...

I think The TPP is dead. So are attempts to

Reid can drive me nuts sometimes, but he's fundamentally a decent human being.

[Tom Rinaldo]

63. Yes. That is my strong sense of him too

He seems like a good man. While I fervently wish we had a Democratic Senate Majority that would embrace the leadership of someone more like Sherrod Brown, that is not the current reality. With the number of blue and bluish dog Senators in the Democratic caucus, and the need for Democrats to always maintain unity in the Senate in order to have any hope of shutting down constant Republican filibusters. I think Reid on the whole has been a good leader. He has been encouraging of late; with the partial filibuster reform, with blocking a new sanctions against Iran vote, and now with this statement in particular.

[hedda_foil]

58. YES!!!

Good on ya, Harry. I hereby take back all the mean things I've thought about you for lo these many years.

[Enthusiast]

62. How about we completely abandon the idea of any more destructive trade deals.

[antigop]

64. +1000 nt

[pampango]

66. This is not primarily a trade deal.

The evidence from what we know of this still secret pact is that the TPP has little to do with free trade.

http://truth-out.org/news/item/19663-the-trans-pacific-partnership-a-trade-agreement-for-protectionists

We already have 'free trade' agreements with many of these countries and tariffs are very low with all the others.

This may be a 'destructive' international agreement but it is not a 'destructive trade deal'.

[Enthusiast]

67. I oppose all 'destructive' international agreements.

[DeSwiss]

65. I think they finally dropped Harry.

- Congratulations! You notice your voice deepening over the next few days and weeks. That's natural, so don't be alarmed.

K&R!!!

[BlancheSplanchnik]

73. GOOD! phew!

Thanks Harry!!!

Don't let it happen!

[Orsino]

74. Slow-walking it, so he can watch our expressions.

Harry, you'll impress me when you acknowledge TPP as literally and figuratively toxic, and oppose the thing itself.

[hrmjustin]

76. Good!

[Sunlei]

80. Taking a guess and it's the rx drug corp and the dairy industry? who wants to control their trade $$

What industry backs those 2 bills?

I guessed the RX drug corp because rx drugs are much cheaper in theAsia-Pacific countries and the European Union. Drug corp wants all countries to pay high like USA people pay for their RX.

Same with the dairy industry, NZ dairy dominates in that area of trade. USA dairy industry wants a piece of that trade action, while they raise the price of dairy in the USA. Block Americans from less expensive imports.