"there’s reason to believe the link between falling unemployment and rising wages has been severed"

[MADem]

71. Let me try to answer your questions.

Why would have to be this way?
"small group of Senators"?
Don't they have copy machines, email,
or other technology to share the information?


Because this is the way the Senate handles classified material that isn't ready for dissemination. A small group of politicians has access to the material, but the grouping is small enough so that if anyone leaks, it's pretty clear who is doing the leaking. By entering into these negotiations, we, the USA, AGREED to keep the negotiations secret. Why? So that nations would feel free to propose ideas without getting the shit kicked out of them for doing nothing more than talking out their asses, or thinking out loud. The negotiations are to happen around the table--not in the public square.


Does the House have no responsibility?

This is a trade agreement, not an expenditure. Appropriations begin in the House. This is a Senate thing--they have the lead on this. The paperwork starts with them.


Why can't ALL of the Congress know the details? Assuming that the TPP is "fast tracked"--and that is also a key element of our participation (the rest of the countries who are "in on" this process are not going to go back to the table if a hundred Senators want to change "happy" to "glad" for example)-- there will be no changes to it. It'll start in the Senate and there will be no changes. The House doesn't like it? They can vote it down. The POTUS isn't happy with the end result? He can veto.

On another level, individual politicians (those who stand for election more frequently than every six years, e.g.) will take proposals, turn them into done deals in their heads, and use them get people shitflinging in order to raise money for their next election. "They're gonna take our JERBS!!!!! They're gonna take over our computers!!!"

Who are the "negotiators" BTW?

This guy and his staff: http://www.ustr.gov/about-us/biographies-key-officials/united-states-trade-representative-michael-froman

These links should answer your questions:

http://www.ustr.gov/tpp

http://www.ustr.gov/tpp/Summary-of-US-objectives

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/03/mitch-mcconnell-tpp-tea-party_n_6182126.html

The EFF objects to the agreement because they fear that the gubmint's gonna take over our computers, and make it harder to rip off intellectual property--those aren't their only concerns, but they're the ones that get people the most excited, and these are the concerns you read about most here on DU and elsewhere:
https://www.eff.org/issues/tpp