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How is Congress meant to make an informed, conscientious vote though if they don't know the ALL the details? Not only the end result of the negotiations, but the issues and parties that came up with...
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Let's see if Congress actually gets to vote on it, or if they try to do a run around them again like ACTA.
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Congressmen seldom know the debate history of the bills they vote on, unless they were on the committee or it is a very high profile bill. They (or likely staff) read the bill, consult with colleagues...
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Congress will vote on the final bill, not the deliberations. But that isn't Issa's agenda. He is using the lack of transparency to attack on the IP section. He fears that there will be enough other...
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No... Think about it. It's an election year and the Obama administration needs campaign funds. Why not look into how much the corporations are giving in donations for their private treaties?
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Gunshot to the head seems like the only way, but that's illegal. America, you're fucked.
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Actually, the fact that Congress is responsible for "oversight" actually would tend to indicate a reasonable expectation of being able to observe and influence the actual negotiations, not just vote on...
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Are you suggesting that because there's an "Oversight" committee that means that this committee or Congress has standing to oversee the negotiation process?
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Regulating commerce with foreign nations is specifically a power reserved for congress (Article 1, section 8), not the executive branch. The executive shouldn't even be negotiating these trade...
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So .. let their staff and constituents see it, so we can give congress our input.
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I don't think this is intended to be a Treaty. This is meant to be an executive-congressional agreement. If it were a treaty, the executive might have more authority to do this. But even treaties are...
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I just don't get it. Isn't there someone in this country to be like... Hold on a second... WTF is going on here?
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> Maybe not criminal charges. But treason would fit I believe. Umm... treason *is* a criminal charge.
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> given the recent attitude and irresponsible positions > that Rep. Issa has taken with the "Fast & Furious" debacle What exactly is irresponsible about wanting to get to the bottom of a...
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> Or, even more to the point: > "You're fired." Congress can't fire anyone in the Executive Branch.
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I really do not care what his motivations are. I'm much more interested in his outcomes. We takes what we can gets in this day and age of governmental alienation from the will of the people.
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Sorry, forgot this is the interweb and you can't see my tongue stuck firmly in my cheek.
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There certainly will be a final draft, and well before any vote is taken.
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Or this administration is just so corrupt it seems like Issa is being political. I mean seriously. Fast and Furious potentially worse than Watergate. Why aren't the documents forthcoming? Stalling...
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You're not using the word "standing" correctly. He has the Constitutional power to oversee the process. Someone will later have "standing" to sue for the USTR's malfeasance.
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See above on legislative history. That's normally open for consultation when a vote is happening. Think that'll hold true here? If not, no vote should take place. If so, then WHAT'S THE POINT OF...
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There was an article on CNN where one of their regulars (LZ Granderson) wrote a piece about how we should stop digging so deeply into the government's dirty laundry and using it to score partisan...
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Why not just do what they've done recently with Eric Holder, and declare Ron Kirk in contempt of Congress? His behavior certainly fits. He has no right to deny Congress their constitutional authority...
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Anonymous, I understand that you don't like it. Though you say things you think make sense, they don't. My point is the American public (and their representatives) have standing to make demands. The...
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I'm so looking forward to TPP blackout day. I've marked it on my calendar and everything. Having a few friends over. We're going to watch old Cornholio episodes of Beavis and Butthead....
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Only familiar enough to know that negotiations for all 3 had some semblance of permission from congress by falling within the fast-track authority time periods. The same is not true for TPP.
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Yes, it's a CEA, but it's being negotiated under the assumption that "Fast Track" trade promotion authority, which officially sanctions the lack of transparency and public input, is going to be...
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Very good point. When/if fast track comes up, we need to push the message that a vote for fast-track is a vote for TPP and the methods used in its creation.
View ArticleVote flowchart
1. Do I know what's in it? 1a. If no, can I find out what's in it? 1a(I). If no, STOP. The vote is NO. . . . You don't have to get very far down the list to know exactly what to do, at least if you...
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Ah, gotcha. I don't yet know enough about it to know to what extent the procedural secrecy and lack of representation of the public interest derives from the objectives portion of the renewal...
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