A massive trade deal is marching forward. Can labor and Democrats improve it?

[Omaha Steve]

Wiki-leaks just released the TPP pact: http://www.democraticunderground.com/10141049089

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2015/03/25/a-massive-trade-deal-is-marching-forward-can-labor-and-democrats-improve-it/

By Greg Sargent March 25 at 3:21 PM
Deep schisms are developing among Democrats over the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the massive trade deal involving countries around the Pacific Ocean that would impact nearly 40 percent of the U.S.’s trade. This may end up dividing leading Democratic officials and major constituencies within the party. In the short term, the question is: How much can those who are skeptical of the deal do to improve it?

Here’s the latest: Labor is ratcheting up its campaign against Senate Democrats to prevent them from caving on what unions — and many liberal Democrats — see as a core mechanism for ensuring that Congress has meaningful oversight as to the emerging deal, whose details are mostly a mystery to, well, pretty much everybody.

Richard Trumka, the president of the AFL-CIO, has sent a letter to every Senator demanding that they draw a hard line on changes that are currently being negotiated over the process by which any trade deal would be approved by Congress.

The Obama administration is demanding “fast track” authority that allows it to negotiate the deal on the understanding that there will be only a final up or down vote in Congress on it. Members of Congress who support “fast track,” such as Rep. Paul Ryan and Senator Orrin Hatch, are currently negotiating with Democrats over a preliminary “Trade Promotion Authority” bill that would create this “fast track” mechanism. Some members of Congress, such as Rep. Lloyd Doggett, argue they haven’t been given access to the details of the emerging deal, but those negotiating this fast-track bill are promising more transparency.

FULL story at link.