U.S Members of Congress are calling for TPP Transparency
Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) talks are hitting some snags in the White House, giving us more time to speak out against the TPP. Make your voice heard at https://OpenMedia.org/Censorship.
Article by Ed O'Keefe for the Washington Post
President Obama is meeting Wednesday with the leaders of Mexico and Canada and a major new trade pact with Asian countries is among several important topics of discussion.
The trade agreement, known as the Trans Pacific Partnership, has been in the works for nearly a decade and would more closely align the economies of the U.S., Canada, Mexico and nine other countries in South America and Asia. The deal would eliminate tariffs on goods and services and generally harmonize dozens of regulations that can often complicate doing business across borders. (Everything you need to know about the Trans Pacific Partnership, explained by The Post's Lydia DePillis, can be read here.)
The White House is eager to finish the talks with its would-be trading partners and has been pushing to earn the authority to bypass Congress and quickly approve the deal. But most Democratic lawmakers don't want to give Obama "fast track" trade authority to quickly negotiate and approve the deal.
The resistance could complicate things for Obama on two fronts. First, any sign of serious opposition in Washington will make countries involved in the talks nervous that the American president can't seal the deal back home. But second -- and more importantly for The Fix's purposes -- Obama has to balance his desire to get a deal with the political needs of congressional Democrats, dozens of whom run the risk of losing their seats in November.
Read more at The Washington Post
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