David Sirota: SECRET TRADE DEAL - DAY 21: Dem K Street Lobbyists Begin Whipping Votes

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SECRET TRADE DEAL - DAY 21: Dem K Street Lobbyists Begin Whipping Votes
by David Sirota | May 31 2007


This is another in a series of ongoing posts following the announcement of a secret free trade deal on May 10, 2007 between a handful of senior Democrats and the Bush administration.



Three weeks after a group of senior Democrats announced a secret free trade deal with top Bush administration officials, Democratic K Street lobbyists are now telling reporters they are making passage of the deal a top priority, likely meaning another NAFTA-style campaign to ram the deal through Congress. Many - if not most - of these lobbyists are former lawmakers and Capitol Hill staff using their ties to Congress to twist arms. Not coincidentally, just last week, congressional Democrats gutted a lobbying reform bill by removing provisions that would have forced lawmakers and staff to wait at least two years before becoming paid lobbyists. Nonetheless, despite the K Street campaign, business interests say they are increasingly worried that they will not have the votes in Congress to pass the secret deal, whose legislative text remains secret. Here is today's update.

NATIONAL JOURNAL - DEMOCRATIC K STREET LOBBYISTS RAMPING UP PRESSURE TO PASS SECRET TRADE DEAL: National Journal this week reports that "business lobbyists and K Street trade advocates are gearing up to help the Democratic Congress pass" the secret trade deal, even though the legislative text of the deal remain hidden from the public and from rank-and-file Democratic lawmakers. The story notes that, for instance, Democratic corporate lobbyist Scott Parven is "eager to do his part to bolster support for the free-trade agreements." He said: "We need to have more Democratic business lobbyists talking to Democratic members and staff." Parven then went on the attack against the labor, environmental, small business, agriculture and consumer protection organizations who oppose the deal. "We need to provide a substantive counterpoint to activists on the left who are banging members over the head saying this is a terrible deal." Another Democratic business lobbyist added, "The reality is that Democrats are going to be split on trade issues, so the business community's main agenda is going to be to shore up virtually unanimous support among Republicans in the House and work with Rangel and Levin and the leadership to get 70 to 100 Democrats."The lobbyist "said that K Street supporters of the deal are coordinating with the pro-trade New Democrat Coalition to win over hesitant Democrats."

K STREET FRETS OVER POSSIBILITY OF MAJOR OPPOSITION TO SECRET DEAL: Inside U.S. Trade last week reported that "U.S. industry supporters of the bilateral free trade agreement with Peru have privately expressed fears that a vote in the trade committees could be tighter than expected when the deal comes up. In the Senate Finance Committee, while Montana Sen. Max Baucus was at the press conference announcing the secret deal, "some supporters are worried that Sens. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) and Kent Conrad (D-ND) may vote against the Peru FTA." The newsletter additionally reports that the legislative language of the secret deal remains secret, but lobbyists "are aware that House Democrats opposed to the template will closely scrutinize the legal text and the extent to which it lives up to the conceptual framework." The pressure to release the details for public analysis means "Democratic staff wants to make sure it will stand up to that scrutiny."

PELOSI SAYS SHE WILL IGNORE THE MAJORITY OF DEMS IF THEY OPPOSE THE SECRET DEAL: Rank and file Democrats, led by Reps. Brad Sherman (D-CA) and Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), are planning to push a Democratic caucus resolution barring the Speaker of the House from bringing the Bush administration's request for reauthorization of fast track to the House floor for a vote unless a majority of Democrats approve. When asked about this resolution this week, Inside U.S. Trade reports that Pelosi balked, indicating she will ignore the resolution. "I would encourage my colleagues not to be proposing resolutions that say the majority of the majority does this or that," she said at a press conference, adding: "I have to take into consideration something broader than the majority of the majority of the Democratic Caucus." Currently, polls show the majority of Americans oppose the continuation of the current lobbyist-written trade policies that fast track advances. Congressional Quarterly reports that according to "a member of Pelosi's leadership team" a number "of Democrats are now calling for a 'majority of the majority' rule on the issue of free trade." This senior Democratic lawmaker said: "The vote on extending funding for the war created a great deal of anxiety and put stress on the caucus. People are concerned that it will set a precedent. They are asking whether this will occur on other issues."

DEM LEADERS STILL SAY THEY WILL RELY ON MAJORITY OF REPUBLICANS TO PASS THE SECRET DEAL: Last week, Democrats used parliamentary rules to use a majority of Republican votes to give President Bush a blank check to continue the Iraq War. Now, Inside U.S. Trade reports that House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charlie Rangel expects he will require votes from the vast majority of Republicans in order to pass the secret deal - over the objections of most Democrats. Rangel is still declining to give an estimate of how many Democrats would support the secret deal "except to signal he did not expect a majority of the caucus." Observers "say the most Democratic votes Peru and Panama will attract is roughly 70" - or less than a third of all Democrats in Congress. Roll Call reports that "Rangel’s negotiating with GOP leaders and the White House on trade with Pelosi’s blessing angered liberals within the Caucus, who fear the House will move forward with trade measures opposed by a large bloc of the majority party." For his part, Sherman told Inside U.S. Trade that he believes Pelosi "would not allow this legislation to come to the floor for a vote unless it has the 'overwhelming support' of the Democratic Caucus." Sherman "said he based that assessment on 'impressions' he gained in his conversation with Pelosi."

MORE STATES PASS RESOLUTIONS DEMANDING CONGRESS REJECT FAST TRACK: Public Citizen reports that two more states have passed resolutions demanding Congress reject President Bush's request to reauthorize fast track authority - the authority that allows the White House to eliminate all labor, environmental and human rights protections from trade deals. Both Pennsylvania and Nevada were the latest legislatures to pass the resolution. Democratic leaders in Congress, nonetheless, continue to say that the secret trade deal may pave the way for them to support Bush's fast track request.

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