Quote:Well, it looks like it's been shot down... for now.

 

This is a very confusing and puzzling issue for me.  I can understand the need to establish trade rules with other countries since that's pretty much the way the world is today.  However, a few things bother me regarding this mess.

 

1.  Why the secrecy?  I can understand keeping things classified when it comes to issues of national security, but I would think that an issue such as trade would be "transparent" as was promised to us by the current regime.

 

2.  One of the key issues, as I understand it is what is known as the "Trade Promotion Authority (TPA)" that would give the President the power to negotiate trade deals that Congress could approve or reject, but not amend.  In my mind, that's a whole lot of power given to the Office of President.  It could be a good thing or a bad thing depending on how you look at it.

 

3.  Why are republicans so eager to give that kind of power to the current President?

The secrecy is a big issue.  If it's great for America, why keep the details in a locked room that only those on the list are permitted to see?

 

The inability for congress to amend trade deals negotiated by the president takes the typical congressional add-ons out of the equation.  If they don't like the deal, they can vote it down.  But, they can't add amendments that have nothing to do with the deal, which is how a lot of these types of deals get tainted.  If the president negotiates a trade deal with a nation to lower tariffs on imports of raw material in exchange for a similar agreement for the finished product, it can wind up having all sorts of amendments tacked on for pet projects in order to get congressional support.  So,  you'll see farm subsidies, or highway projects in certain congressional districts added to trade legislation as a way of securing votes.  This takes that out of the equation.  If there's something so objectionable in the deal negotiated by the administration (regardless of party), congress can still shoot it down.  

 

Republicans have always supported free trade.  What's actually surprising here is that they're in agreement with Obama on this one, and it was the democrats who ended up putting the brakes on this process for now.

 

Personally, I find it impossible to have a real opinion on the deal because we're not getting any actual information about the TPA or the other pieces to this.  They're saying that the actual trade deal will have a 60 day window where it will be available for review before congress votes on it.  Those who have read it are, for the most part saying it's pretty much a boilerplate trade deal.  We'll see. 

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