Let's be clear: The Senate is not where the action ultimately is going to be when it comes to defeating "Fast Track" and the TPP. It will be in the House. Eventually, in my estimation, "fast track" and TPP will pass the Senate--the Senate has always been much more pro- so-called "free trade.
But, today, "Fast track" is stopped. When the actual vote comes up, I'll be blogging it.
Congrats to the president: you've unified the party behind you...the Republican Party.
As of 2:53 EDT: the bill has only ONE DEMOCRATIC VOTE IN FAVOR...Carper. It's toast.
53-45 in favor but it goes down because it didn't have 60 votes.
I think this is probably accurate:
With those votes committed to opposing "fast track" today, the bill will not move forward. But, for people like Wyden, Nelson, Cantwell, Feinstein, Bennet, this is a temporary vote that, IMHO, is just a PR gimmick on their part--they will be votes for "fast track" and TPP at the end of the day.
Pre-vote rhetoric:
Barbara Boxer gave a good floor speech earlier. She recalls voting FOR "Fast track" in 1988 (she was in the House then) and said she then could not try to change NAFTA when it came up for a vote in 1993 (when she had just been elected to the Senate in 1992). She won't be fooled again, she says. She also described the process of her ability to look at the "Classified" TPP draft, including surrendering her cellphone and other "electronics" and NOT being able to take with her any handwritten notes after reviewing any parts of the text.
Orrin Hatch, on the other hand, whined about having to support "Fast track" and TPP even though it includes money for Trade Adjustment Assistance, which he doesn't like at all ("I wish we didn't have to pass that")--TAA is bullshit, by the way, because it's basically a pittance thrown at workers to retrain some of them for jobs that don't exist at wages way below what they earn.
Durbin tried to make sense of the alphabet soup of acronyms, mostly for the CSPAN audience--what do all these different bills mean?
Senate gavels backs in 2:15 p.m.:
Cory Gardner is the first up, Republican to speak...blah blah...TPP will create jobs...(how do these idiots get elected is always beyond me). Pursue policies to grow economy...blah blah..."made in America" flag waving...
Sherrod Brown: "Even supporters...those cheerleaders...acknowledge there will be winners and losers." Goes through impact of past deals. "How do you ignore the losers...?" Need strong currency provisions. Provision to prohibit child labor that passed Finance Committee is not part of the current package!
Jeff Merkley, the workers Senator from Oregon: stages of trade, well said, "for those who want to put forward the mirage...that somehow this will increase American production, that is a false promise."
(by the way caught the little huddle behind Merkley between Bernie, Sherrod and Sheldon Whitehouse).
Orrin Hatch is back...blah blah...not really worth writing this, eh? Oh, and he hates the Trade Assistance program in case you didn't know.
Voting soon...
VOTES (in the process just picking out ones on the fly). "No" votes are good--opposed to proceeding to the "Fast track" bill.
Elizabeth Warren: thumbs down
Casey voted no.
Schumer just voted NO
ALL NOS ARE FOLLOWING DEMS--(yes, missed a few in the rollcall; will come back around at the end but this puppy is going down...)
Bennett
Blumenthal
Donnelly
Brown
Boxer
Cardin
Cantwell
Murphy
McCaskill
Franken
Coons
Gillibrand
Markey
Angus King
Leahy
Menendez
Manchin
Merkley
Mikulski
Baldwin
Cantwell
Stabenow
Booker
Murray
Heitkamp
Schatz
Harry Reid
Reed
Hirono
Nelson
Peters
Durbin
Klobauchar
Feinstein
Heinrich
Shaheen
Kaine
Tester
Udall
Warner
Whitehouse
AND DRUMROLL...WYDEN
So far only Republicans voting YES...how does that feel POTUS?
Ooopppp, first Democrat...Carper voted yes...
McConnell voted NO but that is just a procedural vote that allows McConnell to bring up the bill again--if you are in the majority you can't. But, McConnell is shocked, shocked, shocked...
Wyden is now standing up post vote to pontificate and promise that 14 "pro trade Democrats" want to work in a bi-partisan way to pass the bill. So, if you had doubt: this is going to eventually pass the Senate.
Added Brown and Merkley's pre vote comments:
Brown:
THE TRADE PACKAGE WE'RE CONSIDERING TODAY IS MISSING IMPORTANT PROVISIONS THAT SUPPORT AMERICAN COMPANIES AND AMERICAN WORKERS. WE CAN'T HAVE TRADE PROMOTION WITHOUT TRADE ENFORCEMENT. EVEN SUPPORTERS OF FAST-TRACK AND T.P.P., THOSE CHEERLEADERS THAT, THE MOST OUTSPOKEN CHEERLEADERS FOR FREE TRADE, EVEN THOSE SUPPORTERS ACKNOWLEDGE THERE WILL BE WINNERS AND LOSERS FROM THIS AGREEMENT. PAST DEALS SHOW HOW WIDESPREAD THE LOSSES WILL BE. TRAVEL THE STATE THAT THE PRESIDING OFFICER AND I REPRESENT IN THE SENATE AND LOOK AT WHAT NAFTA HAS DONE. LOOK AT WHAT PNTR WITH CHINA HAS DONE. LOOK AT WHAT THE CENTRAL AMERICAN FREE TRADE AGREEMENT HAS DONE. LOOK AT WHAT THE SOUTH KOREA FREE TRADE AGREEMENT HAS DONE TO US. IT WOULD BE AGO TRAGEDY -- IT WOULD BE A TRAGEDY IF THE SENATE ACTED AND FAILED TO HELP THE AMERICAN COMPANIES AND AMERICAN WORKERS AND THE COMMUNITIES WHOM WE ACKNOWLEDGE WILL BE HURT BY T.P.P. IN OTHER WORDS WE'VE TAKEN ACTION IN THIS BODY TAKEN BY THIS ADMINISTRATION AND THERE ARE WINNERS AND LOSERS FROM THIS ACTION. THE LOSERS ARE THOSE WHO LOSE THEIR JOBS, THE SMALL BUSINESSES THAT GO OUT OF BUSINESS AND THE COMMUNITIES THAT GET HURT BY THIS. THOSE ARE THE LOSERS. HOW DO YOU IGNORE THEM WHEN IT COMES TO THESE TRADE AGREEMENTS? BY C SCHEEGD TWO, EXCLUDING TWO OF THE FOUR BILLS, WE'RE EXCLUDING CRITICAL BIPARTISAN PROVISIONS THAT PROTECT WORKERS AND ENSURE STRONG TRADE ENFORCEMENT. WE NEED TO MAKE SURE OTHER COMPANIES IN OUR COUNTRY ARE PROTECTED FROM UNFAIR DUMPING. THAT IS WHY I INTRODUCED ALONG WITH MY COLLEAGUES SENATORS PORTMAN, CASEY AND BURR AND BENNETT AND COATS THE LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD ACT. WE INCLUDED REAUTHORIZATION WITH BIPARTISAN SUPPORT. IT WOULD STRENGTHEN FORMAT OF TRADE -- STRENGTHEN ENFORCEMENT OF TRADE LAWS TO FIGHT BACK AGAINST UNFAIR TRADE PRACTICES. IT PASSED THE SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE BUT IN THE MAJORITY LEADER'S PACKAGE AND SENATOR HATCH'S PACKAGE, IT IS NOWHERE TO BE FOUND ON THE FLOOR TODAY. WE NEED TO MAKE SURE STRONG CURRENCY PROVISIONS ARE INCLUDED. THE FINANCE COMMITTEE OVERWHELMINGLY SUPPORTED MY AMENDMENT 18-8. WE HAD SUPPORTERS, THE SUPPORT OF REPUBLICAN COLLEAGUES: SENATORS PORTMAN, GRASSLEY, CRAPO AND BURR AND EYE SOCK SON AND -- AND ISAKSON. THIS PROVISION ENSURES A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD FOR AMERICAN BUSINESS. IT IS NOWHERE TO BE FOUND IN THE MAJORITY LEADER'S PACKAGE. ANY TRADE PACKAGE NEEDS TO ENSURE WE AREN'T IMPORTING PRODUCTS MADE WITH CHILD LABOR. THAT IS WHY THE FINANCE COMMITTEE PASSED AN AMENDMENT WITH OVERWHELMING BIPARTISAN SUPPORT TO CLOSE A 75-YEAR-OLD LOOPHOLE THAT ALLOWED PRODUCTS MADE WITH FORCED LABOR AND CHILD LABOR INTO THIS COUNTRY. 75 YEARS THAT LOOPHOLE STOOD. WE PASSED THAT AMENDMENT 21-5. WE HAD THE SUPPORT OF REPUBLICAN COLLEAGUES. SENATORS GRASSLEY AND CRAPO AND ROBERTS AND CORNYN AND THUNE AND TOOMEY AND PORTMAN AND HELLER. AGAIN, MR. PRESIDENT, THIS BIPARTISAN PACKAGE THAT'S COME TO THE FLOOR, THIS BIPARTISAN PROVISION IS NOWHERE TO BE FOUND IN THE MAJORITY LEADER'S PACKAGE. THAT IS WHY I CALL ON MY REPUBLICAN COLLEAGUES, MANY OF WHOM I'VE NAMED, ALMOST EVERY ONE OF THEM ON THE FINANCE COMMITTEE, VOTED FOR EITHER THE CURRENCY AMENDMENT OR THE LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD AMENDMENT OR THE PROHIBITION ON CHILD LABOR AMENDMENT. SOME MEMBERS OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE, REPUBLICANS, VOTED FOR ALL THREE OF THOSE AMENDMENTS BUT THEY'RE NOT IN THE PACKAGE. I'M HOPEFUL MY REPUBLICAN COLLEAGUES WILL JOIN DEMOCRATIC COLLEAGUES TO VOTE "NO" ON CLOTURE SO WE CAN BRING A PACKAGE TO THE FLOOR THAT TAKES CARE OF WORKERS, THAT DOES TRADE MOTION AUTHORITY, THAT -- TRADE PROMOTION AUTHORITY, TAKES CARE OF WORKERS AND TAKES CARE OF ENFORCING TRADE RULES. THE TRADE PACKAGE WAS PASSED OUT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE, FAR FROM PERFECT. I HAVE GRAVE CONCERNS WITH FAST-TRACK. THERE IS A REASON THESE PROVISIONS WERE INCLUDED IN THE TRADE PACKAGE. THE SENATE SHOULD CONSIDER ALL FOUR OF THEM. THE MAJORITY LEADER McCONNELL SAYS HE WANTS TO RESPECT COMMITTEE WORK ON LEGISLATION. WELL, HERE'S HIS CHANCE. THE ONLY WAY TO GET THESE IMPORTANT PROVISIONS TO THE PRESIDENT'S DESK IS TO COMBINE ALL FOUR INTO ONE. WE'VE DONE IT IN THE PAST. KEEP IN MIND EVERY TIME CONGRESS DOES MAJOR TRADE LAWS, 2002 FAST-TRACK INCLUDED PROVISIONS ON ENFORCEMENT. THE SAME THING IN 1988 ON THE TRADE PACKAGE. THE SAME THING IN 1972 ON THE TRADE PACKAGE. WHY WOULD WE BIFURCATE THIS? WHY WOULD WE TAKE OUT ENFORCEMENT WHEN THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF TRADE? WE SHOULDN'T MOVE FORWARD WITH ANY TRADE PACKAGE THAT DOESN'T INCLUDE ALL FOUR BILLS. I ASK MY COLLEAGUES IN BOTH PARTIES, THOSE WHO SUPPORTED OUR ENFORCEMENT EFFORTS AND BOTH PARTIES IN FINANCE TO JOIN US AND VOTE "NO" ON CLOTURE AS WE TAKE THE VOTE IN THE NEXT FEW MINUTES.
Merkley: THESE PRODUCTS WILL INCREASE THE NUMBER OF PRODUCTS STAMPED MADE IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. THAT IS PUT FORWARD IN TRADE AGREEMENT AFTER TRADE AGREEMENT AFTER TRADE AGREEMENT. THE FIRST STEP IN THE PROCESS IS TO SAY LOOK AT THOSE MARKETS. WOULDN'T IT BE WONDERFUL IN THAT NATION IF WE HAD DIRECT ACCESS, IMPROVED ACCESS? PARTICULARLY WE'VE DONE A SERIES OF AGREEMENTS WITH VERY LOW-WAGE AND LOW ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARD, LOW-ENFORCEMENT ASSASSINATIONS. THAT'S -- LOW-ENFORCEMENT NATIONS. THAT IS THE FIRST SECOND. THE SECOND STAGE IS WE'RE COMPETING WITH PRODUCTS MADE IN THAT COUNTRY, SO WE BETTER MAKE SURE WE OPEN A FACTORY THERE AS WELL. AND THEN SUDDENLY INSTEAD OF THOSE PRODUCTS COMING FROM THE UNITED STATES TO A FOREIGN NATION, AND IN FACT THOSE PRODUCTS ARE BEING MADE IN THAT FOREIGN NATION, THEN COMES STAGE THREE. NOW THAT WE'RE MAKING THOSE PRODUCTS OVERSEAS AT A MUCH LOWER PRICE BECAUSE OF THE LOWER WAGES, LOWER ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARDS AND LOWER ENFORCEMENT, IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO MAKE THOSE PRODUCTS IN THE UNITED STATES ANYMORE. SO THAT'S HOW WE LOST FIVE MILLION MANUFACTURING JOBS IN AMERICA. THAT'S HOW WE LOST 50,000 FACTORIES IN AMERICA. AND SO FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO PUT FORWARD THIS SHIMMERA, ILLUSION, MIRAGE THAT SOMEHOW THIS IS GOING TO INCREASE AMERICAN PRODUCTION, AMERICAN CITIZENS SHOULD KNOW IN FACT THAT IS A FALSE PROMISE, A FALSE PROMISE THAT HAS BEEN PUT OUT TIME AFTER TIME AFTER TIME AND SHOWN TO BE WRONG AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN. LET'S THINK ABOUT THIS. WHY WOULD YOU PAVE A PATH TO PUT THE WORKERS IN YOUR STATE DIRECTLY IN COMPETITION WITH WORKERS EARNING 60 CENTS AN HOUR? TELL ME THAT THAT'S ADVANTAGEOUS TO MAKING THINGS IN YOUR NATION, AND I WILL TELL YOU, YOU ARE WRONG. SO LET'S NOT GO DOWN A PATH IN WHICH WE PAVE A HIGHWAY TO ESSENTIALLY DESTROY AMERICAN MANUFACTURING TO DISRUPT AMERICAN MANUFACTURING, TO DECREASE THE COMPETITIVENESS OF LIVING WAGES HERE IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. LET'S ENHANCE AND STRENGTHEN OUR POSITION IN THE WORLD, NOT UNDERMINE IT.
12:17 PM PT: gotta run friends. will try to respond tonight. DEbate, organize.