Image caption: "A billboard protesting
international trade agreements in advance of President Obama’s visit to
the Hannover Messe, the world’s largest technology trade fair, in
Germany. Credit
Nigel Treblin/European Pressphoto Agency," via NYT
4/17/16, "Obama Heads to Europe, Its Stability and His Priorities in Question," NY Times, Mark Landler
"The president’s itinerary includes stops that will showcase the sunnier side of the trans-Atlantic relationship. On Friday, he will have lunch with Queen Elizabeth II at Windsor Castle to celebrate her 90th birthday, which is Thursday. On Sunday, in Germany, he will tour the Hannover Messe, the world’s largest industrial technology trade fair, where he will promote his ambitious European trade deal, the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership."...
=====================
===============
Ted Cruz wants this global deal "fast-tracked":
April 21, 2015, WSJ op-ed by Ted Cruz and Paul Ryan in favor of 'fast tracking' global trade deals via TPA bill, Trade Promotion Authority:
4/21/2015, "Putting Congress in Charge on Trade," Wall St. Journal op-ed by Paul Ryan and Ted Cruz. "Rep. Ryan, a Republican from Wisconsin, is chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee. Sen. Cruz, a Republican from Texas, heads the Senate Commerce Committee’s subcommittee on Space, Science and Competitiveness." (subscrip.) [In Oct. 2015, GOP Rep. Paul Ryan was elected House Speaker].
"‘Fast track’ authority will give lawmakers more say over agreements that are vital for economic growth."
"The United States is making headway on two historic trade agreements, one with 11 countries on the Pacific Rim and another with America’s friends in Europe. These two agreements alone would mean greater access to a billion customers for American manufacturers, farmers and ranchers.
But before the U.S. can complete the agreements, Congress needs to strengthen the country’s bargaining position by establishing trade-promotion authority, also known as TPA, which is an arrangement between Congress and the president for negotiating and considering trade agreements.
In short, TPA is what U.S. negotiators need to win a fair deal for the American worker.
There is a lot at stake. One in five American jobs depends on trade, and that share is only going to grow. Ninety-six percent of the world’s customers are outside the U.S. To create more jobs here, America needs to sell more goods and services over there. When that happens, the American worker benefits. Manufacturing jobs tied to trade pay 16% more on average, according to a study released by the independent U.S. International Trade Commission.
Right now, though, the American worker isn’t competing on a level playing field against many overseas economies. The U.S. economy is one of the most open in the world—and for good reason.
Thanks to lower duties on imports, the average American family saves $13,600 a year, according to a study by HSBC. But other countries put up trade barriers that drive up prices for U.S. goods and services and make it hard to sell them there.
The American worker can compete with anybody, if given a fair chance. If you add up all 20 countries that the U.S. has a trade agreement with, American manufacturers run a $50 billion trade surplus with them. The problem is that not all countries have a trade agreement with the U.S.; American manufacturers run a $500 billion trade deficit with those nations. That is why the U.S. needs effective trade agreements to lay down fair and strong rules that level the playing field. Without such rules, America’s trading partners will keep stacking the deck against job creators in this country.
But Congress can’t just take the administration’s word that it will drive a hard bargain. We have to hold it accountable, and that is what trade-promotion authority will help do.
Under TPA, Congress lays out three basic requirements for the administration. First, it must pursue nearly 150 specific negotiating objectives, like beefing up protections for U.S. intellectual property or eliminating kickbacks for government-owned firms. Second, the administration must consult regularly with Congress and meet high transparency standards.
And third, before anything becomes law, Congress gets the final say. The Constitution vests all legislative power in Congress. So TPA makes it clear that Congress—and only Congress—can change U.S. law. If the administration meets all the requirements, Congress will give the agreement an up-or-down vote. But if the administration fails, Congress can hit the brakes, cancel the vote and stop the agreement.
Trade-promotion authority will hold the administration accountable both to Congress and to the American people. Under TPA, any member of Congress will be able to read the negotiating text. Any member will be able to get a briefing from the U.S. trade representative’s office on the status of the negotiations—at any time. Any member will get to be a part of negotiating rounds. And most important, TPA will require the administration to post the full text of the agreement at least 60 days before completing the deal, so the American people can read it themselves.
The stakes are high, because if you’re not moving forward in trade negotiations, you’re falling behind. In the first 10 years of this century, the countries of East Asia negotiated 48 trade agreements.
The U.S., on the other hand, negotiated just two in that region. As a result, America’s share of East Asia’s imports fell by 42%. Every top U.S. competitor did better—every one of them.
Meanwhile, China is negotiating agreements with anyone who will listen—from South Korea and Australia to Norway. And it isn’t free enterprise the Chinese are pushing. Instead, it is their own form of crony capitalism. They’re writing rules that favor government-owned firms and hamper American job creators. So it all comes down to this question: Is China going to write the rules of the global economy, or is the United States?
By establishing TPA, Congress will send a signal to the world. America’s trading partners will know that the U.S. is trustworthy and then put their best offers on the table. America’s rivals will know that the U.S. is serious and won’t abandon the field. And the American people will know this trade agreement is a good, fair deal—because they’ll have the information they need to decide for themselves.
Promoting American trade will create more opportunity in the country, and so we strongly urge our colleagues in Congress to vote for trade-promotion authority."
"Rep. Ryan, a Republican from Wisconsin, is chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee. Sen. Cruz, a Republican from Texas, heads the Senate Commerce Committee’s subcommittee on Space, Science and Competitiveness."
====================
Response to Ted Cruz April 2015 WSJ op-ed with Paul Ryan:
April 22, 2015, "Ted Cruz joins the establishment," The Hill, by Rick Manning
"Establishment, globalist advocates published what will go down as the most disingenuous, deceitful and outright dishonest promotional piece on behalf of the so-called fast-track trade authority that could have been written.
Authored by establishment GOP Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and heretofore "conservative" Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), the op-ed in The Wall Street Journal is a compilation of talking points and slick dodges. It is textbook propaganda that would make the disinformation experts of the KGB blush.
But this is a minor matter compared to the bald-faced falsehoods that follow. The congressional odd couple assert that Congress will demand three things from Obama, three "requirements" that will protect the nation. In truth, all three are hollow shells; the tools of bait and switch that have used to con America in the past. And what are three shells of the con game?
...............
First, it asserted that there will be 150 "specific negotiating objectives." Sounds good, except these objectives are nothing more than suggestions. If Obama comes back with a treaty and none of these "objectives" are included, there is no effect. The treaty will still get the up-or-down vote. No amendments will be allowed to be offered. No two-thirds ratification vote in the Senate will occur. And of course, at that point, all the special interests — having been fed their fill — will demand passage. Are we to believe that Ryan and Cruz will vote against the treaty if the 150 "objectives" are not included? If that is the case, why do they not say so?
...................
Second, it is asserted that the administration would be required to "consult" with Congress over the course of final negotiations. This is the "kissing your sister" argument — no meaning and slightly discomforting.
............
Finally, it is claimed that giving Obama [and future presidents] more power will enhance the power of Congress and thereby the American people. This is simply a lie. Under the authority Ryan and Cruz want to give the administration, the powers given Congress under the Constitution are suspended. No amendments are allowed. U.S. law will be subjugated to a treaty that can be passed by a simple majority in the two houses.
............
Hollywood and Wall Street will get what they want and the American taxpayers will be given the bill. So, gentlemen, how are the American people protected by suspending the Constitution? Is this the 2016 GOP platform — gather votes signing praises of the Constitution while moving to undercut and suspend it at will?
...............
What is most troubling, however, is the disdain the advocates of this deal have for the American people. They babble on and on about abstract economic "benefits" when, in fact, trade is but a minor part of the matter. No less an authority than The Washington Post stated in an April 13 editorial that the treaty and fast track are "about geopolitics as well as economics."
................
These treaties are in fact far more about "politics" than economics or trade. These treaties are world governance infrastructure; they are big steps away from the Constitution, national sovereignty and independence. All the trade talk, all the blather about jobs and the confusing stream of questionable statistics are designed to cover the real thrust of these treaties: the expansion of international and globalist interests.
................
Why the GOP in Congress embraces the very process that would destroy it is a subject for another day, but it is enough to recognize that when they come to citizens begging for votes and donations claiming to defend the Constitution and our system of liberty, that they are being duplicitous Yet again, they treat the grass roots and the conservative base with contempt.
.................
For Ryan to do this is expected, but Cruz's shilling for this big lie may be the last straw for those who became known as Tea Party supporters. The irony is that if they give up hope that America can be restored because they no longer have a champion, who is going to vote for Ted Cruz?
The answer is no one."
..............
"Manning is president of Americans for Limited Government"
.............
4/17/16, "Obama Heads to Europe, Its Stability and His Priorities in Question," NY Times, Mark Landler
"The president’s itinerary includes stops that will showcase the sunnier side of the trans-Atlantic relationship. On Friday, he will have lunch with Queen Elizabeth II at Windsor Castle to celebrate her 90th birthday, which is Thursday. On Sunday, in Germany, he will tour the Hannover Messe, the world’s largest industrial technology trade fair, where he will promote his ambitious European trade deal, the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership."...
=====================
===============
Ted Cruz wants this global deal "fast-tracked":
April 21, 2015, WSJ op-ed by Ted Cruz and Paul Ryan in favor of 'fast tracking' global trade deals via TPA bill, Trade Promotion Authority:
4/21/2015, "Putting Congress in Charge on Trade," Wall St. Journal op-ed by Paul Ryan and Ted Cruz. "Rep. Ryan, a Republican from Wisconsin, is chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee. Sen. Cruz, a Republican from Texas, heads the Senate Commerce Committee’s subcommittee on Space, Science and Competitiveness." (subscrip.) [In Oct. 2015, GOP Rep. Paul Ryan was elected House Speaker].
"‘Fast track’ authority will give lawmakers more say over agreements that are vital for economic growth."
"The United States is making headway on two historic trade agreements, one with 11 countries on the Pacific Rim and another with America’s friends in Europe. These two agreements alone would mean greater access to a billion customers for American manufacturers, farmers and ranchers.
But before the U.S. can complete the agreements, Congress needs to strengthen the country’s bargaining position by establishing trade-promotion authority, also known as TPA, which is an arrangement between Congress and the president for negotiating and considering trade agreements.
In short, TPA is what U.S. negotiators need to win a fair deal for the American worker.
There is a lot at stake. One in five American jobs depends on trade, and that share is only going to grow. Ninety-six percent of the world’s customers are outside the U.S. To create more jobs here, America needs to sell more goods and services over there. When that happens, the American worker benefits. Manufacturing jobs tied to trade pay 16% more on average, according to a study released by the independent U.S. International Trade Commission.
Right now, though, the American worker isn’t competing on a level playing field against many overseas economies. The U.S. economy is one of the most open in the world—and for good reason.
Thanks to lower duties on imports, the average American family saves $13,600 a year, according to a study by HSBC. But other countries put up trade barriers that drive up prices for U.S. goods and services and make it hard to sell them there.
The American worker can compete with anybody, if given a fair chance. If you add up all 20 countries that the U.S. has a trade agreement with, American manufacturers run a $50 billion trade surplus with them. The problem is that not all countries have a trade agreement with the U.S.; American manufacturers run a $500 billion trade deficit with those nations. That is why the U.S. needs effective trade agreements to lay down fair and strong rules that level the playing field. Without such rules, America’s trading partners will keep stacking the deck against job creators in this country.
But Congress can’t just take the administration’s word that it will drive a hard bargain. We have to hold it accountable, and that is what trade-promotion authority will help do.
Under TPA, Congress lays out three basic requirements for the administration. First, it must pursue nearly 150 specific negotiating objectives, like beefing up protections for U.S. intellectual property or eliminating kickbacks for government-owned firms. Second, the administration must consult regularly with Congress and meet high transparency standards.
And third, before anything becomes law, Congress gets the final say. The Constitution vests all legislative power in Congress. So TPA makes it clear that Congress—and only Congress—can change U.S. law. If the administration meets all the requirements, Congress will give the agreement an up-or-down vote. But if the administration fails, Congress can hit the brakes, cancel the vote and stop the agreement.
Trade-promotion authority will hold the administration accountable both to Congress and to the American people. Under TPA, any member of Congress will be able to read the negotiating text. Any member will be able to get a briefing from the U.S. trade representative’s office on the status of the negotiations—at any time. Any member will get to be a part of negotiating rounds. And most important, TPA will require the administration to post the full text of the agreement at least 60 days before completing the deal, so the American people can read it themselves.
The stakes are high, because if you’re not moving forward in trade negotiations, you’re falling behind. In the first 10 years of this century, the countries of East Asia negotiated 48 trade agreements.
The U.S., on the other hand, negotiated just two in that region. As a result, America’s share of East Asia’s imports fell by 42%. Every top U.S. competitor did better—every one of them.
Meanwhile, China is negotiating agreements with anyone who will listen—from South Korea and Australia to Norway. And it isn’t free enterprise the Chinese are pushing. Instead, it is their own form of crony capitalism. They’re writing rules that favor government-owned firms and hamper American job creators. So it all comes down to this question: Is China going to write the rules of the global economy, or is the United States?
By establishing TPA, Congress will send a signal to the world. America’s trading partners will know that the U.S. is trustworthy and then put their best offers on the table. America’s rivals will know that the U.S. is serious and won’t abandon the field. And the American people will know this trade agreement is a good, fair deal—because they’ll have the information they need to decide for themselves.
Promoting American trade will create more opportunity in the country, and so we strongly urge our colleagues in Congress to vote for trade-promotion authority."
"Rep. Ryan, a Republican from Wisconsin, is chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee. Sen. Cruz, a Republican from Texas, heads the Senate Commerce Committee’s subcommittee on Space, Science and Competitiveness."
====================
Response to Ted Cruz April 2015 WSJ op-ed with Paul Ryan:
April 22, 2015, "Ted Cruz joins the establishment," The Hill, by Rick Manning
"Establishment, globalist advocates published what will go down as the most disingenuous, deceitful and outright dishonest promotional piece on behalf of the so-called fast-track trade authority that could have been written.
Authored by establishment GOP Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and heretofore "conservative" Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), the op-ed in The Wall Street Journal is a compilation of talking points and slick dodges. It is textbook propaganda that would make the disinformation experts of the KGB blush.
The
dynamic duo start by asserting that the U.S. must "strengthen the
country's bargaining position” by giving President Obama fast-track
powers. Really? The GOP Congress thinks it is vital to our national
interest to expand the powers in Obama's [and all future presidents'] hands? And, what exactly
"strengthens" our bargaining power? So the only way to win a deal is by
convincing foreign governments that the U.S. Congress will be limited in
what it can say on the matter? Are we to tell the world that the people
and their elected representatives will be sidelined so a "deal" can be
done?
Next, Ryan and Cruz assert that the American worker has been placed at a terrible disadvantage to workers in the rest of the world and that we have to give Obama more power in order to address this serious problem. But, of course, nowhere is there a mention of the fact that a big part of that "disadvantage" is currency manipulation and other financial gimmicks — issues that are expressly kept out of the trade deal. I guess nobody told these gentlemen that the primary weapon being used against American workers and business is not going to be discussed. Had they been allowed to read and review the so-called deal — the Trans-Pacific Partnership — they might have known that. But sadly, the Obama administration has kept the "deal" under lock and key — virtually nobody has been allowed to view it.
................... Next, Ryan and Cruz assert that the American worker has been placed at a terrible disadvantage to workers in the rest of the world and that we have to give Obama more power in order to address this serious problem. But, of course, nowhere is there a mention of the fact that a big part of that "disadvantage" is currency manipulation and other financial gimmicks — issues that are expressly kept out of the trade deal. I guess nobody told these gentlemen that the primary weapon being used against American workers and business is not going to be discussed. Had they been allowed to read and review the so-called deal — the Trans-Pacific Partnership — they might have known that. But sadly, the Obama administration has kept the "deal" under lock and key — virtually nobody has been allowed to view it.
But this is a minor matter compared to the bald-faced falsehoods that follow. The congressional odd couple assert that Congress will demand three things from Obama, three "requirements" that will protect the nation. In truth, all three are hollow shells; the tools of bait and switch that have used to con America in the past. And what are three shells of the con game?
...............
First, it asserted that there will be 150 "specific negotiating objectives." Sounds good, except these objectives are nothing more than suggestions. If Obama comes back with a treaty and none of these "objectives" are included, there is no effect. The treaty will still get the up-or-down vote. No amendments will be allowed to be offered. No two-thirds ratification vote in the Senate will occur. And of course, at that point, all the special interests — having been fed their fill — will demand passage. Are we to believe that Ryan and Cruz will vote against the treaty if the 150 "objectives" are not included? If that is the case, why do they not say so?
...................
Second, it is asserted that the administration would be required to "consult" with Congress over the course of final negotiations. This is the "kissing your sister" argument — no meaning and slightly discomforting.
............
Finally, it is claimed that giving Obama [and future presidents] more power will enhance the power of Congress and thereby the American people. This is simply a lie. Under the authority Ryan and Cruz want to give the administration, the powers given Congress under the Constitution are suspended. No amendments are allowed. U.S. law will be subjugated to a treaty that can be passed by a simple majority in the two houses.
............
Hollywood and Wall Street will get what they want and the American taxpayers will be given the bill. So, gentlemen, how are the American people protected by suspending the Constitution? Is this the 2016 GOP platform — gather votes signing praises of the Constitution while moving to undercut and suspend it at will?
...............
What is most troubling, however, is the disdain the advocates of this deal have for the American people. They babble on and on about abstract economic "benefits" when, in fact, trade is but a minor part of the matter. No less an authority than The Washington Post stated in an April 13 editorial that the treaty and fast track are "about geopolitics as well as economics."
................
These treaties are in fact far more about "politics" than economics or trade. These treaties are world governance infrastructure; they are big steps away from the Constitution, national sovereignty and independence. All the trade talk, all the blather about jobs and the confusing stream of questionable statistics are designed to cover the real thrust of these treaties: the expansion of international and globalist interests.
................
Why the GOP in Congress embraces the very process that would destroy it is a subject for another day, but it is enough to recognize that when they come to citizens begging for votes and donations claiming to defend the Constitution and our system of liberty, that they are being duplicitous Yet again, they treat the grass roots and the conservative base with contempt.
.................
For Ryan to do this is expected, but Cruz's shilling for this big lie may be the last straw for those who became known as Tea Party supporters. The irony is that if they give up hope that America can be restored because they no longer have a champion, who is going to vote for Ted Cruz?
The answer is no one."
..............
"Manning is president of Americans for Limited Government"
.............
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