Reid Vows More Obstruction of Free Trade

Harry Reid:
Tuggery Personified

Today in Washington, D.C. - May 5, 2015
The House met today in Proforma session at 11:30 AM and adjourned at 11:33AM. The next proforma meeting of the House is scheduled for 11:00 AM on May 8. However, the House members will remain on their districts for "work week schedule" until members reconvenes on May 12th with recorded votes being postponed until 6:30 PM.

The Senate reconvened at 10 AM today and resumed consideration of the president’s veto message of S.J. Res. 8, a congressional resolution disapproving of the National Labor Relations Board’s (NLRB) new rule allowing ambush union elections.

At 10:15, the Senate voted 53-44 to agree to the motion to proceed to the budget conference report, S. Con. Res. 11.

Later today, a vote on approval of the budget conference report is expected.

Yesterday, the Senate voted 93-0 to confirm Willie May to be Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology.

Reuters writes: “Senate Republicans plan to push ahead with legislation key to sealing a Pacific trade pact as soon as possible . . . despite objections from the chamber's top Democrat. McConnell . . . said that as soon as the Senate finishes work on budget and Iran legislation, he will attempt to bring up a bill to streamline the passage of trade deals through Congress. . . .”

Politico adds, “The Senate minority leader said in an interview with The Huffington Post that he isn't ‘willing to lay over and play dead on trade’ until he has assurances that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) will deal with deadlines on transportation and surveillance legislation, both of which expire at the end of the month. ‘McConnell said he wanted to move to trade in the next two or three weeks … but I don’t think he’s going to have an easy time doing it, because I will not let him do that,’ [Reid] said in the interview. ‘He’s going to have to work around me and the caucus.’”

Speaking on the floor this morning, Leader McConnell said, “[O]f course we've already heard of an attempt to stand in the way of the bipartisan effort to debate this legislation. We already heard of yet another effort to make a partisan stand against a bipartisan accomplishment that would help grow opportunities for our constituents.”

Despite many Democrats’ robotic opposition to trade, support for free trade is growing again. According to The Wall Street Journal, “Americans’ views of free trade have improved from the low levels following the recession, according to a new Wall Street Journal/NBC poll, suggesting a more favorable climate for a push by President Barack Obama and Republicans to pass new trade legislation.

“Just 37% of adults polled last month said that free trade with foreign countries had helped the U.S., compared with 31% who said free trade had hurt. But that is a turning point: it marks the first time in more than 15 years that a plurality of Americans said that free trade helped.”

And even industries once known for the skepticism of free trade are coming around. Another WSJ article notes, “Milliken & Co., one of the largest U.S. textile makers, has been on the front lines of nearly every recent battle to defeat free-trade legislation. It has financed activists, backed like-minded lawmakers and helped build a coalition of right and left-wing opponents of free trade. With Congress now gearing up for another trade fight, this time over whether to give President Barack Obama authority to negotiate sweeping trade deals in Asia and Europe, Milliken is in an unfamiliar place. Its executives are urging lawmakers to support the free-trade measure. . . . ‘The past is the past,’ says Joseph Salley, 47 years old, the company’s current chief executive officer. These days Milliken is focusing on building a carpet-manufacturing and textile-research hub in Shanghai.”

The Journal writes, “The support from Milliken and the textile industry reflects a metamorphosis of modern commerce. Mr. Milliken built his company into a powerhouse when the U.S. dominated the global economy. . . . But as business becomes more international, American industries that once pushed for protection—apparel, automobiles, semiconductors and tires—now rarely do so. The U.S. Fashion Industry Association, an apparel trade group that wants to reduce tariffs, says that half the brands and retailers it surveyed last year used between six and 20 countries for production. . . . Intel Corp.’s then-Chief Executive Andrew Grove predicted in 1990 that the U.S. would become a ‘techno-colony of Japan,’ and he wanted heavy tariffs on semiconductors. Now Intel is pushing to expand an international technology agreement that eliminates tariffs on high-tech goods. . . .

“The trade bill up for congressional debate this month would give President Obama “fast-track approval” for trade deals. Foreign-trade negotiators from other countries have said that without fast track, they won’t offer their deepest cuts in tariffs and other trade barriers for fear that Congress will rewrite pacts after they are negotiated. Lobbying in favor over the bill is a coalition of major exporters organized by the Business Roundtable, a business trade group. The coalition includes AT&T Inc., FedEx Corp, Intel and Microsoft Corp.”

However, Senate Democrat Leader Harry Reid has decided that the country really needs more of the obstructionism that was a hallmark of his time in charge of the Senate. Politico reports, “Pro-trade lawmakers in both parties expressed irritation with Sen. Harry Reid on Monday after the Nevada Democrat said he would block any new trade deals until Republicans approve new infrastructure legislation and reform the PATRIOT Act. . . .

“Senate Finance Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), who worked with ranking member Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) on trade promotion authority legislation that’s drawn some Democratic support, said if Reid follows through on his threat to whip against the measure he will only be hurting President Barack Obama. . . . Reid will need to keep a tight grip on his caucus to fend off approval of the fast-track trade bill, and not all Democrats are ready to filibuster the measures. Republicans need to pick off at least six Democrats to break a filibuster, possibly against the wishes of Reid’s whipping operation later this month. ‘That’s not my preference,’ said Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) of Reid’s strategy. He added that he will vote to break a filibuster on the fast-track bill.”

Discussing the importance of the fast track bill today, Leader McConnell said, “This bill would enhance Congress’ role in the trade process while ensuring Presidents of either party have the necessary tools to secure strong, enforceable trade agreements for American workers. . . . This is a bill we should all want to support. So it won’t surprise you to hear that this bill has substantial bipartisan support. It even passed the Finance Committee on an overwhelming vote of 20 to 6. . .

“So yes. Some may oppose allowing American workers to compete and win in new markets… Some may not be all that excited about selling more products stamped ‘Made in America’ to place like Europe and the Pacific. But the reality is, the American people deserve more opportunities—not more special interest roadblocks.”

---

Tags: U.S Senate, consideration, veto override , NLRA new rule, free trade, Harry Reid, To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. and "Like" Facebook Page - Thanks!