Pirate's Cove

For the most part, Paul Ryan and Congressional Republicans have been pretty bad when it comes to what is being termed “Obamatrade”. Not all of them, but, enough. Supposedly, there is a provision in the deal that increases amnesty for illegals. Jeff Sessions is warning that this will create the Pacific version of the European Union. Democrats hate this deal because

According to the Wikileaks release, TISA, as the deal is known, would take a major step towards deregulating financial industries, and could affect everything from local maritime and air traffic rules to domestic regulations on almost anything if an internationally traded service is involved.

The pact would be one of three enormous deals whose passage through Congress could be eased with passage of Trade Promotion Authority, also known as fast-track authority. The Senate has passed fast-track, and it could be taken up in the House this month.

The other giant pacts are the Trans-Pacific Partnership covering a dozen Pacific Rim nations and the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership targeted at Europe.

Like lots of big, big bills, especially done in utter secrecy, this one has things that people will love and people will loathe. Like

(Huffington Post) A measure that would excuse the U.S. from any trade deal obligations to address climate change adds a fresh wrinkle to the tense debate in the House over President Barack Obama’s trade agenda.

House Democrats opposing legislation that would grant Obama fast-track authority to funnel trade deals through Congress are pressuring undecided members of their caucus, pointing to the anti-climate language as reason enough to vote no.

The House is poised to vote on a package of trade bills, including fast-track authority for Obama, as early as Friday. Three additional trade bills will be considered, including a customs enforcement bill. Within the customs bill is the anti-climate language added by Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), who has acted as the administration’s go-to person in the House on trade. Unless that language is first changed by the Rules Committee, it will stay in the bill. (snip)

Ryan offered the climate amendment to appeal to Republican concerns that Obama might use his trade powers to act on climate change. The measure would “ensure that trade agreements do not require changes to U.S. law or obligate the United States with respect to global warming or climate change.”

Ryan explained the language during a Rules Committee meeting Wednesday evening.

“It’s just making sure that if the administration wants to go down a path of seeking legislative changes in climate or immigration, they can’t do it through trade agreements,” Ryan said.

This has upset many Democrats, most, if not all, of whom have failed to give up their own use of fossil fuels and gone “carbon neutral”. It still shouldn’t be a reason for vote for fast track authority, and the trade pacts should be out in the open for all to see. Still, if it has to go through, removing the ability to make any part of it about “climate change” is worthwhile.

Elsewhere, The New American offers 10 reasons to oppose Obamatrade.

Crossed at Right Wing News.