After Six Years, Trans-Pacific Partnership Negotiations reaches “End Game”
(Worthy News)– President Obama’s GOP salesmen are telling fellow House members that fast-track trade promotion authority (TPA) will “constrain the president” to do what Congress wants when he negotiates the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Sounds reassuring, but there’s one problem: It’s just not true.
Pointing to the negotiating objectives the Senate-approved bill lays out, House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) says that “TPA makes the president follow dozens of strict objectives in his negotiations so that your priorities come first — not his.”
First, let’s be clear: The Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations have been underway for six years. According to the U.S. trade representative, they are in the “end game” and will be wrapped up once TPA is approved. Scalise and company are a little late setting objectives for negotiations that have already taken place.
More importantly, if you look at the language of the TPA bill, you see the claim that TPA “makes the president follow dozens of strict objectives” is transparently false. –[wp_colorbox_media url=”http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/finance/244375-fast-talk-from-the-fast-track-salesmen” type=”iframe” hyperlink=”Source”]