The House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly last week on a 126-302 vote against passage of a key provision of President Barack Obama's Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement that virtually everyone agrees will be a big job killer for American workers. The provision voted down provided welfare assistance to those workers lawmakers know will lose their jobs as a result of a trade deal brokered to benefit large multi-national corporations and their international banking friends. Only 40 Democrats and 86 Republicans voted for the government assistance to displaced workers' portion of the trade pact voted down by members as a way of expressing their displeasure with the deal in one form or another.
Three Republican lawmakers from Indiana, including Reps. Susan Brooks, Luke Messer and Todd Rokita, support the trade pact unconditionally and voted for the government assistance program. The rest of the Democratic and Republican lawmakers from Indiana voted against providing financial aid to displaced workers. Rep. Todd Young (R), who supports the underlying trade deal, voted against financial aid to displaced workers based on philosophical differences against government assistance in general according to the Indianapolis Star. Both Democratic members of Indiana's congressional delegation, Pete Visclosky and Andre Carson, oppose the trade deal, although Carson was one of six members absent for Friday's vote. The portion of the legislation allowing for fast track approval of the trade deal passed the House narrowly by a vote of 219-211. Only Visclosky and Carson voted against it, while the state's 7 Republican members all voted for it.
Without the displaced workers assistance, the fast track authority cannot advance. Democrats abandoned President Obama in droves due to concerns raised by labor groups. Even House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi voted to block its passage by registering a no vote on the displace workers assistance portion. It is quite interesting to see President Obama rely so heavily on Republicans to bail him out on a trade deal that promises to do so much harm to American workers. Who would have thought President Obama would become a president who constantly sides with big business interests over ordinary workers, who have not benefited at all from the anemic economic growth during his two terms as president following the 2008 Great Recession? One thing we know for certain is that whenever the United States enters into a trade agreement with other countries to make the buying and selling of goods across borders easier, it's always a windfall for multi-national corporations that comes at the expense of American industry and jobs.
11 comments:
That Reps. Susan Brooks, Luke Messer and Todd Rokita, unconditionally supported RINO John Boenher in the disgustingly secretive "you'll know what's in it when we pass it" trade pact and voted for the government assistance program no surprise. RINO "R" attorney Susan Brooks- wife of attorney GOP political operative David Brooks- follows true to form on aligning with alleged Republicans and voting any way the Establishment tells her to vote. I know where the Brooks' interests are and Susan Brooks is not for the people's best interests, that's for sure. Why the hell this gal represents Indiana's 5th Congressional is beyond common sense. Oh wait, David Brooks was involved...
"always a windfall for multi-national corporations that comes at the expense of American industry and jobs"
C'mon, Gary. You don't mean that. True free trade IS beneficial to all, though it CAN result in job/business losses in certain areas. That's just the "creative destruction" inherent in capitalism. Without trade, a society is poorer, both economically and socially.
I disaprove of how the Obama Administration has negotiated the TPP -- & that in and of itself makes me oppose THUS particular iteration of the deal -- but real free trade is a good thing.
The trade deals the U.S. negotiates aren't truly two-way trade agreements that treat both sides fairly. Our deals reward companies who ship jobs overseas to be built by slave labor working in wretched conditions and without regard to environmental laws like companies based in the U.S. face. The one point Ross Perot had right was the "giant sucking sound."
Lam Law: There is no "creative destruction" in capitalism; which is a system of value for value exchange: FYI. Destruction is the work of greed driven despots; whose imagination is unfortunately limited to theft, rather than production & entrepreneurism (creativity).
I'm with LamLaw. While I wouldn't have voted for this trade deal for reasons articulated herein, I am a strong believer in free trade. Free trade is great for American consumers and the economy as a whole. I think NAFTA is the one good thing Clinton did in office. It played a role in the helping keep going the longest peacetime expansion of the American economy in history.
What I find mind boggling is that the details of this trade treaty are secret, except from the insiders such as Multinational Corporations. We are not talking about the Nuclear War "Go Codes" here or the name, address and phone number of our master spy in Moscow. Would anyone sign a contract and not know the details of it??
I called Susan Brooks office to urge her to vote no for the TPP. Hillary Clinton refuses to make a public decision on where she stands on TPP. Latest quote I read from her campaign is “Let’s take the lemons and turn it into lemonade,” Clinton told about 600 supporters in Iowa.
Sure Lemonade from Paul Ryan, Hillary Clinton and Obama, it will be a yellow liquid but only after the deal is signed will the American people find out it is urine.
Big Pharma is behind the bill. One of those secret provisions imposes new restrictions on generic drugs, resulting in fewer, low-priced generic drugs available to consumers. What does that have to do with free trade?
Free trade is a productive / private sector activity; not consumptive / public sector & parent company schemes to pilfer the public purse behind a mud curtain of opaque political operators, vested in the tyrannic exploitation of statism.
"Secret" is contrary to the interests of the American people; the legitimate operators of the free market.
"Creative destruction" was coined by Schumpeter to describe capitalism. It describes how -- in a free society -- new technologies and processes emerge that are more efficient. They have the byproduct of rendering old industries obsolete.
You're correct; free trade IS private/productive BUT it also often brings peace between the participants. Our last war with Canadians was the War of 1812 (units were called out during the Aroostook Incident but never engaged). The economic benefit of trade with Canada is immense.
I am gratified that at least two of the Indiana delegation, my representative Carson, and the other Democrat voted AGAINST TPP. Shame on all the Indiana Republican representatives who voted against the needs of Hoosiers.
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