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A Bad Week for the TPP: Top 10 Reasons “Fast Track” Trade Authority Is Going Nowhere

There is plenty of evidence that fast track authority is going down to defeat.

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Washington, D.C. – It has been one week since Senator Max Baucus, Senator Orrin Hatch and Congressman Dave Camp introduced the long-awaited fast–track trade promotion authority legislation. This outdated version of trade promotion authority would strip Congress of its Constitutionally-granted role on trade agreements in favor of a “take it or leave it” stamp of approval on the massive and secretive 12-country Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal.
But one week later, there is plenty of evidence that fast track authority is going down to defeat. Here are the top 10 reasons “fast track” is going nowhere:
  1. Republicans in the House say they will not hold a vote on fast–track legislation unless the White House can produce at least 50 Democratic votes, including at least one party leader – but 151 of the 200 Democratic caucus members have already signaled their opposition.
  2. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said he is not making time on the Senate floor to debate the measure.
  3. A hearing in the Senate Finance Committee backfired when Sen. Sherrod Brown exposed supporters of not understanding, or even opposing, key portions of the legislation.
  4. Seventeen Democratic Senators have signaled their opposition to the current version of fast track proposed.
  5. Broad ideological opposition — dozens of Tea Party groups and business coalitions from across the country have come out against fast track.
  6. Leaked text from the environmental chapter shows U.S. trade negotiators are caving on key provisions – raising the ire of leading environmental organizations.
  7. President Obama did not even bring up fast track or TPP when he met with Senate Democrats to discuss is agenda for 2014.
  8. Pundits are noting that President Obama’s focus on addressing economic inequality will be undercut if he also prioritizes fast track and the TPP
  9. Major columnists and editorial boards are coming out against fast track and TPP.
  10. Local lawmakers are raising concerns and seeing clarification about how TPP will threaten U.S. sovereignty, consumer protections and other issues.
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