Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been tagged as “Fast track (trade)”
Progressives reacted with dismay as the U.S. Senate on Thursday approved a motion to begin debate on the Fast Track authority President Barack Obama needs to advance controversial trade deals like the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). The measure passed 65-33. Senate Democrats blocked the first attempt to proceed on the trade legislation on Tuesday, butbacktracked in the wake of further negotiations—and intense pressure from …
As the predictable cycle of presidential election denial settles in, its initial focus appears to be primarily on one Hillary Rodham Clinton. Thus, I thought I’d dust off some time-worn — and frighteningly ignored — info on what it was like to have a Clinton, um, occupying the White House. To begin, let’s all reflect back upon the years 1993 …
A United Nations official has called for a moratorium on secret negotiations over a United States-European Union “free trade” deal, citing concerns that the corporate tribunals likely to be included in the final pact would boost the power of multinationals at the expense of democracy and human rights. Alfred de Zayas, the UN’s independent expert on the promotion of a …
With dissent fermenting on both sides of the political aisle, more than 2,000 civil society groups are urging Congress to reject Fast Track trade authority, warning that the legislation would pave the way for approval of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), the 12-nation proposal they say “replicates and expands on the most damaging provisions of past U.S. trade pacts.” The joint letter (pdf), …
The Obama administration is doing its full court press, pulling out all the stops to get Congress to approve the fast-track authority that is almost certainly necessary to get the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) through Congress. One of the biggest remaining stumbling blocks is that the deal will almost certainly not include provisions on currency. This means that parties to the …
For most of history, farmers have had control over their seeds: saving, sharing, and replanting them with freedom. Developments in the course of the 20th century, however, have greatly eroded this autonomy. Legal changes, ranging from the Plant Variety Protection Act (1970) in the United States to the World Trade Organization’s Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), …
President Obama standing with U.S. Trade Representive Michael Froman outside the White House in June of 2013. Froman was nominated by the president for the top position and is now among the key targets of protests and critics who are decrying the administration’s trade policy. (Photo: Larry Downing/Reuters) The pro-big business President Barack Obama and his corporate allies are starting …
With the fight over Fast Track authority in full swing and the battle lines drawn between progressive voices opposing the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and corporate-backed forces rallying in its favor, a growing chorus of voices want Hillary Clinton—who recently made her presidential bid for 2016 official—to take a definitive stance on the controversial trade pact that so clearly represents the …
Both the US Senate and House of Representatives have begun action on legislation to grant President Obama Trade Promotion Authority, also known as “fast-track” authority, which would enable the US government to finalize the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a trade agreement with 11 other countries in Asia and the Americas. The Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday, in a 20-6 vote, approved the …
In what is being heralded as a “brave tactic,” Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) on Wednesday temporarily blocked lawmakers from rushing through legislation that would allow the Obama administration to “Fast Track” the controversial and highly secretive Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement. Sanders forcibly delayed the Senate Finance Committee from considering Fast Track legislation by using a rarely invoked senate scheduling rule, effectively preventing the …
