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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsTuesday Will Be The Final Showdown On Fast Track - From The Nation
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The way House Speaker John Boehner structured the process along with the Senate, all three bills had to pass or else the entire package would not advance. (If youre a gambler, think of it like a three-item parlay bet.)
Progressive Democrats who oppose fast track feared it would pass with mainly Republican votes alongside a small number of Democrats, but they sensed an opportunity on the must-pass trade-assistance billsince relatively few Republicans would back the legislation, it would be much easier to kill by withholding Democratic votes. And if trade assistance goes down, so too would fast track.
And thats exactly what happened. Minority leader Nancy Pelosi took the floor early Friday afternoon and said that explicitly defeating trade assistance is the only way we will be able to slow down fast track. When the votes rolled in shortly thereafter, the trade-assistance bill failed with 302 votes against it and only 126 in favor.
Its worth stressing here how much progressive organizing had to do with this defeat. President Obama personally appeared in Congress at the last minute Friday morning to appeal to Democrats one more time, on the heels of crashing the congressional baseball game the night before. But Pelosi and Democrats remained unswayed, and in her speech, Pelosi instead credited the work of activists holding members to a hot stove back home.
But fast track isnt quite dead yet. Boehner moved on to the fast-track and customs bills anyway, both of which passed, though fast track only got two votes more than it needed. The package still wont advance without trade-adjustment assistancebut Boehner scheduled a revote for Tuesday.
This will be the final showdown. Democrats would need to triple the yes votes on the bill for it to pass, which seems unlikely, given that Pelosi explicitly embraced the idea of slowing down fast track. The administration and its allies will cynically beat them up for blocking assistance to workers displaced by trade deals, despite the clear strategic preference by Democrats to stop fast track. But if progressives hold strong, then fast track is over for now. (The other option would be for over a hundred more House Republicans to flip and back trade assistance, but that seems unlikely in the extreme, especially since the powerful Heritage Foundation is scoring this as a key vote.)
Liberal activism created a vote on Friday that few people saw coming. If liberals keep up the pressure for four more days, there will be no discernible path forward for either fast-track or the TPP.
...
...
The way House Speaker John Boehner structured the process along with the Senate, all three bills had to pass or else the entire package would not advance. (If youre a gambler, think of it like a three-item parlay bet.)
Progressive Democrats who oppose fast track feared it would pass with mainly Republican votes alongside a small number of Democrats, but they sensed an opportunity on the must-pass trade-assistance billsince relatively few Republicans would back the legislation, it would be much easier to kill by withholding Democratic votes. And if trade assistance goes down, so too would fast track.
And thats exactly what happened. Minority leader Nancy Pelosi took the floor early Friday afternoon and said that explicitly defeating trade assistance is the only way we will be able to slow down fast track. When the votes rolled in shortly thereafter, the trade-assistance bill failed with 302 votes against it and only 126 in favor.
Its worth stressing here how much progressive organizing had to do with this defeat. President Obama personally appeared in Congress at the last minute Friday morning to appeal to Democrats one more time, on the heels of crashing the congressional baseball game the night before. But Pelosi and Democrats remained unswayed, and in her speech, Pelosi instead credited the work of activists holding members to a hot stove back home.
But fast track isnt quite dead yet. Boehner moved on to the fast-track and customs bills anyway, both of which passed, though fast track only got two votes more than it needed. The package still wont advance without trade-adjustment assistancebut Boehner scheduled a revote for Tuesday.
This will be the final showdown. Democrats would need to triple the yes votes on the bill for it to pass, which seems unlikely, given that Pelosi explicitly embraced the idea of slowing down fast track. The administration and its allies will cynically beat them up for blocking assistance to workers displaced by trade deals, despite the clear strategic preference by Democrats to stop fast track. But if progressives hold strong, then fast track is over for now. (The other option would be for over a hundred more House Republicans to flip and back trade assistance, but that seems unlikely in the extreme, especially since the powerful Heritage Foundation is scoring this as a key vote.)
Liberal activism created a vote on Friday that few people saw coming. If liberals keep up the pressure for four more days, there will be no discernible path forward for either fast-track or the TPP.
Link: http://www.thenation.com/blog/209817/liberals-deal-obama-stunning-blow-trade-one-more-showdown-awaits
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Tuesday Will Be The Final Showdown On Fast Track - From The Nation (Original Post)
WillyT
Jun 2015
OP
MannyGoldstein
(34,589 posts)1. Yay, us!
And thanks Willy, as always!
WillyT
(72,631 posts)3. Yay Us... Is Spot On !!!
Jumpin Jack Flash
(242 posts)2. The Tea Party is probably only good for one thing
If they are going to hold TAA hostage, preventing TPP because they don't like it.
Fine with me. I'd rather see TPA languish without TAA, and President O has to veto it to get the TAA back on.
kentuck
(111,111 posts)4. Is that assuming that the Republicans will hold firm?
That they will not be subject to severe arm-twisting?
WillyT
(72,631 posts)5. Interesting Question... On The One Hand There Are Those That Do Not Want To Hand Obama A Win...
And there are those that want a total defeat for Labor reasons..
And there are those that want to want to be awarded with money in their post-congressional career.
And there are those that think the whole thing is an affront to Democracy.
How do I vote... The Democracy Thingy!