The shroud of secrecy over President Barack Obama’s Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal— for which he is seeking a renewal of fast-track authority — is being used by opponents, including many Democrats, to defeat it, according to Politico.
Only members of Congress are privy to what’s contained in the deal, and even then, they are required to go to the basement of the Capitol Visitor Center — sans cellphone or staff members — and read its contents one section at a time while someone watches over them. Taking notes is forbidden as is discussing the text with anyone.
“It’s like being in kindergarten,” said Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro, a Democrat who is leading the opposition to the White House’s trade agenda. “You give back the toys at the end.”
The administration maintains that the proposed deal requires such strict confidence because of the delicate nature of ongoing negotiations involved in the 12-country free trade agreement.
Matt McAlvanah, spokesman for the Office of the United States Trade Representative, tells Politico that the USTR is challenged with balancing access to classified documents while ensuring the United States is victorious in getting “the best deal possible in an ongoing, high-stakes international negotiation.”
Giving the president fast-track authority, which means the Congress votes up or down on the deal without the ability to amend it, is a precondition by Japan, New Zealand, and some of the other nations, according to the Fiscal Times.
The Senate is expected to vote on it as soon as this week. It will then move to the House before the end of the month.
Obama has argued that the agreement, which would cover some 40 percent of the global economy, is critical to keeping China from dictating trade, labor, and environmental standards in the Asia-Pacific region, according to Politico. The administration says the transparency complaints are just another hurdle placed in the path by those who have no intention on voting for a new trade deal.
“Trade skeptics” accuse United States Trade Representative Mike Froman of capriciously deciding what parts of the agreement will be made available, in addition to treating those who may disagree with it with “disrespect and condescension,” Politico reports.
“He likes to make available information that he thinks helps his case, and if it conflicts, then he doesn’t make the information available,” said Texas Rep. Lloyd Doggett, who is a Democrat. “My chief of staff who has a top secret security clearance can learn more about ISIS or Yemen than about this trade agreement.”
California Rep. Brad Sherman, also a Democrat, characterized Froman as “condescending.”
“It’s like, ‘You’d be all for this if only you hadn’t gotten an F in economics,'” said Sherman, who explained that he opposes what he has seen thus far “because it lacks labor standards and measures to address currency manipulation.”
A third Democrat, Rep. Alan Grayson of Florida, says Froman’s actions are more than condescending, they’re “misleading.”
“We know when we’re being suckered,” Grayson told Politico, arguing that he thinks that the parts of the agreement being shown to elected officials are being couched to “give an overly positive impression” of it.
Proponents argue that the TPP is “far too important to be used as a political football,” according to Forbes contributor Doug Schoen.
“This far-reaching free trade agreement amongst 12 nations in the Americas, Oceania, and East Asia, is expected to yield significant results,” Schoen writes. “It will bolster the economy and support innovation, create jobs, and increase national security.”
To ensure that the proposal and its possible consequences receive sufficient debate a “healthy, informed public discourse,” is necessary, he added.
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