
The U.S. House of Representatives may vote on Fast Track legislation as soon as this week. (Photo: Stop FastTrack/flickr/cc)
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The U.S. House of Representatives may vote on Fast Track legislation as soon as this week. (Photo: Stop FastTrack/flickr/cc)
The U.S. House of Representatives is gearing up for a vote on the contentious legislation that could grant President Barack Obama increased power to speed so-called "trade" deals through Congress, and its fate is still up in the air as foes and allies draw their battle lines.
Trade Promotion Authority, also known as Fast Track, passed the U.S. Senate last month, but faces a much tougher fight in the House. Strong opposition comes from progressives and other critics who worry that Obama will use Fast Track to pass agreements like the pro-corporate Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).
[T]he Fast Track bill would grant Congress an up-or-down vote on Obama's trade deals, but prohibit amendments or a filibuster in the Senate. The authority is seen as a necessary step in the president's bid to finalize the highly secretive [TPP], which continues to amass foes on many fronts.
So far, 128 Democrats in the House have come out against Fast Track, with some of the most outspoken opposition coming from Keith Ellison (D-Mich.), Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.), and Donna Edwards (D-Md.).
As The Hillexplains, "Democratic support will be vital to the fate of the measure, as GOP leaders don't have the 217 or 218 votes -- pending a replacement for Aaron Schock (R-Ill.) -- to pass it through the lower chamber on their own."
We Interrupt This Article with an Urgent Message! Common Dreams is a not-for-profit news service. All of our content is free to you - no subscriptions; no ads. We are funded by donations from our readers. This media model only works if enough readers pitch in. We have millions of readers every month and, it seems, too many take our survival for granted. It isn't. Our critical Mid-Year fundraiser is off to a very slow start - only 168 readers have contributed a total of $6,200 so far. We must raise $43,800 more before we can end this fundraising campaign and get back to focusing on what we do best. |
Many Republican lawmakers who support TPP are nonetheless opposed to Fast Track as they are unwilling to vote in favor of granting Obama more power.
The Hill continues to update its list of House leaders and their stances on Fast Track.
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The U.S. House of Representatives is gearing up for a vote on the contentious legislation that could grant President Barack Obama increased power to speed so-called "trade" deals through Congress, and its fate is still up in the air as foes and allies draw their battle lines.
Trade Promotion Authority, also known as Fast Track, passed the U.S. Senate last month, but faces a much tougher fight in the House. Strong opposition comes from progressives and other critics who worry that Obama will use Fast Track to pass agreements like the pro-corporate Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).
[T]he Fast Track bill would grant Congress an up-or-down vote on Obama's trade deals, but prohibit amendments or a filibuster in the Senate. The authority is seen as a necessary step in the president's bid to finalize the highly secretive [TPP], which continues to amass foes on many fronts.
So far, 128 Democrats in the House have come out against Fast Track, with some of the most outspoken opposition coming from Keith Ellison (D-Mich.), Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.), and Donna Edwards (D-Md.).
As The Hillexplains, "Democratic support will be vital to the fate of the measure, as GOP leaders don't have the 217 or 218 votes -- pending a replacement for Aaron Schock (R-Ill.) -- to pass it through the lower chamber on their own."
We Interrupt This Article with an Urgent Message! Common Dreams is a not-for-profit news service. All of our content is free to you - no subscriptions; no ads. We are funded by donations from our readers. This media model only works if enough readers pitch in. We have millions of readers every month and, it seems, too many take our survival for granted. It isn't. Our critical Mid-Year fundraiser is off to a very slow start - only 168 readers have contributed a total of $6,200 so far. We must raise $43,800 more before we can end this fundraising campaign and get back to focusing on what we do best. |
Many Republican lawmakers who support TPP are nonetheless opposed to Fast Track as they are unwilling to vote in favor of granting Obama more power.
The Hill continues to update its list of House leaders and their stances on Fast Track.
The U.S. House of Representatives is gearing up for a vote on the contentious legislation that could grant President Barack Obama increased power to speed so-called "trade" deals through Congress, and its fate is still up in the air as foes and allies draw their battle lines.
Trade Promotion Authority, also known as Fast Track, passed the U.S. Senate last month, but faces a much tougher fight in the House. Strong opposition comes from progressives and other critics who worry that Obama will use Fast Track to pass agreements like the pro-corporate Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).
[T]he Fast Track bill would grant Congress an up-or-down vote on Obama's trade deals, but prohibit amendments or a filibuster in the Senate. The authority is seen as a necessary step in the president's bid to finalize the highly secretive [TPP], which continues to amass foes on many fronts.
So far, 128 Democrats in the House have come out against Fast Track, with some of the most outspoken opposition coming from Keith Ellison (D-Mich.), Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.), and Donna Edwards (D-Md.).
As The Hillexplains, "Democratic support will be vital to the fate of the measure, as GOP leaders don't have the 217 or 218 votes -- pending a replacement for Aaron Schock (R-Ill.) -- to pass it through the lower chamber on their own."
We Interrupt This Article with an Urgent Message! Common Dreams is a not-for-profit news service. All of our content is free to you - no subscriptions; no ads. We are funded by donations from our readers. This media model only works if enough readers pitch in. We have millions of readers every month and, it seems, too many take our survival for granted. It isn't. Our critical Mid-Year fundraiser is off to a very slow start - only 168 readers have contributed a total of $6,200 so far. We must raise $43,800 more before we can end this fundraising campaign and get back to focusing on what we do best. |
Many Republican lawmakers who support TPP are nonetheless opposed to Fast Track as they are unwilling to vote in favor of granting Obama more power.
The Hill continues to update its list of House leaders and their stances on Fast Track.