Heads Up!! "Obama Ready to Defy Base in Order to Advance Trans-Pacific Partnership"

[muriel_volestrangler]

223. "151 House Democrats Say 'No' to Fast Track Authority"

Reps. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) and George Miller (D-Calif.) wrote a letter to President Barack Obama, signed by 149 other House Democrats, opposing renewing the traditional model of "Fast Track" trade promotion authority for the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) or any other future trade deals. The letter expresses concerns that the procedure undemocratically denies Congress its rightful role in foreign policy and ignores congressional prerogatives to make policy on a host of other issues (such as labor, finance, health care and energy policy).

Traditional Fast Track authority has allowed a president to submit trade deals to Congress without allowing adequate opportunity for input from most members of Congress. It also denies opportunities to amend the deal or its implementing legislation. International trade agreements often touch on many different issues and when Fast Track has been in place in the past, most committees whose issue areas are affected by a particular trade deal have not had sufficient opportunities to provide meaningful input in the negotiating process or a chance to object to the application of Fast Track to a particular trade deal when it fails to meet congressional policy goals. The letter emphasizes the importance of a new, inclusive and 21st century model for trade agreement negotiation by listing some of the many policy issues that can be affected by trade deals:

Labor, patent and copyright, land use, food, agriculture and product standards, natural resources, the environment, professional licensing, competition, state-owned enterprises and government procurement policies, as well as financial, health care, energy, e-commerce, telecommunications and other service-sector regulations.

http://www.aflcio.org/Blog/Political-Action-Legislation/151-House-Democrats-Say-No-to-Fast-Track-Authority

So, no, not dishonest. The Washington Post did not make up its quote. Look, here it is on the White House site:

So I think that there are folks in my own party and in my own constituency that have legitimate complaints about some of the trend lines of inequality, but are barking up the wrong tree when it comes to opposing TPP, and I’m going to have to make that argument.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/12/03/remarks-president-business-roundtable

Another view:

Republican gains in midterm elections could aid TPP talks

Fast-track legislation was introduced in January but Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid would not allow a vote. Many Democrats fear that opening markets to countries with lower wages and standards will cost U.S. jobs. Republicans tend to be more supportive, seeing more trade as an economic aid.

With Republicans favored to take control of the Senate and expand their House majority in Tuesday’s election, trade could become a rare point of agreement between a Republican Congress and the White House.

Yet obstacles would remain.

Many Republicans would hesitate to see a Democratic president make progress on his agenda. Among Democrats, there’s widespread opposition in the House to the Asian pact. Opposition is less strong in the Senate, but it only takes a few lawmakers to use procedural tactics and try to block the deal.

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2014/11/03/world/politics-diplomacy-world/republican-gains-in-midterm-elections-could-aid-tpp-talks/

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has criticized fast-track and made no effort to bring it to the floor. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) has yet to even produce a fast-track bill.
...
Most House Democrats are opposed to fast-track authority, and could be even less likely to support it if it’s drawn up by a Republican Congress for a lame-duck Democratic president.

http://thehill.com/policy/finance/222261-no-fast-track-in-lame-duck