In Letters to Obama, 151 House Democrats, Bloc of GOP Announce Opposition to ‘Fast Track’ Trade Auth

[PuraVidaDreamin]

23. Just got this letter from My Senator Elizabeth Warren re: fast tracking

Dear Debra,

Thank you for contacting me about trade promotion authority (TPA).

As you may know, under TPA (or "Fast Track" authority), Congress agrees to expedited consideration of legislation that implements a trade agreement and agrees to vote on such legislation without amendment. In turn, the President must consult regularly with Congress and let Congress help define negotiating objectives. TPA expired in 2007, and it is up to Congress to decide whether to renew it.

I believe Congress must play a substantial role in crafting trade policy. The Constitution gives Congress the power to "regulate commerce with foreign nations," and Congress should not hastily cede that power because of the enormous impact that trade agreements have on our economy. They affect access to foreign markets and a wide variety of public policy issues - everything from wages, jobs, the environment, and the Internet to monetary policy, pharmaceuticals, and financial services.

On June 13, 2013, I sent a letter urging U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman to support increased transparency in negotiations over the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). I asked him to immediately make public the bracketed text of the TPP, or at least make available a scrubbed version of the bracketed text like the Bush Administration did in 2001 during the negotiations for the Free Trade Area of the Americas. Unfortunately, Mr. Froman refused to commit to making this information available to the public. I will keep pushing in this direction because I believe transparency is critical in allowing for Congress and the American people to have a voice in the negotiations.

Thank you again for reaching out to me on this issue, and I hope that you will continue to keep me informed about issues that are important to you.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth Warren
United States Senator