The Senate is considering H.R.1314, a trade measure President Obama is pushing for. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell wants to cut off debate on the measure so it can be voted on this week. The measure would need 60 votes to move forward before the Memorial Day recess. Watch the process live here:
Update 12:01
For an unusual parliamentary reason, this bill still needs to clear another cloture vote before it can move forward. The vote would also require 60 votes. Some senators may change their votes, depending on what happens with amendments added to the bill. For example, Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) who cast the final aye vote has a currency amendment pendint. He and others might flip if their amendments are voted down. So stay tuned.
Update 11:02
This vote was merely a procedural vote, but it is important, as it allows the Senate to move forward with the trade measure.
Update 10:58
“This last vote was a major step forward,” Sen Orrin Hatch (R-UT) says. He thanks everyone for their support. Says he hopes the Senate can keep moving quickly to pass this bill.
Update 10:57
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says the Senate will still have the opportunity to add amendments.
Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid calls for a quorum call.
Update 10:56
Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) casts final vote. The measure passes with 62 aye votes.
Update 10:53
with 99 votes counted, measure has 61. That would be enough to cut off debate and bring the trade measure to the floor for a vote. Opponents had wanted more time to add amendments and consider changes.
Update 10:51
Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) casts 60th aye vote.
Update 10:48
With 8 votes to count, the process grinds to a halt.
Update 10:42
Sen. John McCain, facing a potential Republican primary challenge in Arizona, votes for cloture.
Update 10:40
Now 53 aye, 38 nay.
Sen. Ted Cruz, Republican presidential candidate from Texas, votes for cloture.
Update 10:37
There are 11 Senators yet to vote.
So far, 51 aye votes, 38 nays.
Update 10:37
17 votes to cast.
46 aye, 37 nay.
Update 10:35
Republican Susan Collins votes against cloture.
Update 10:35
There are 25 votes uncounted.
Yes 42, no 34
Update 10:31
Still 41 votes to tally.
Update 10:30
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders votes no.
yes: 34, No: 24.
Update 10:27:
Clerk is calling names of those who didn’t vote first time through. Sen. Warner of Virginia votes “aye,” one of few Democrats to do so.
Count is currently 27 yes and 22 no.
Update 10:25:
25 Aye votes, 19 nay votes so far.
Measure needs 60 to end debate.
Update 10:24:
The clerk has competed the roll
Update 10:19:
Roll call is underway.
Update 10:18
Senate to begin cloture vote to end debate. The measure would require 60 votes to pass.
Update 10:17
Sen. Brown calls for both sides to sit down and have a real discussion of the bill.
Update 10:15
“There have been logjams all the way through,” Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) says. “We should procede with the vote.”
Update 10:14
Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) rises to object. “I’d like to have more votes.”
Update 10:13:
Sen. Hatch asks the Senate to call up many amendments as a block.
Update 10:03
Vote will begin “shortly,” C-Span reports.
Update 10:00
Roll call begins.
UPDATE 9:59:
“The American people will be able to come to a townhall meeting and have that document in their hands for four months before it comes up for a vote,” Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR).
UPDATE 9:58
“If you believe in trade, as I d, and you want more if it, why would you have all this secrecy?” Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) says. He says he and Sen. Hatch have put transparency measures into the trade agreement.
Update 9:56:
“When you talk about international trade, there are going to be about a billion middle class consumers. They can buy our wonderful ag products,” Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) says. “What we have sought to do is replace the old 1990s playbook on trade with a modern one.”
Update 9:54
Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) takes the floor.
“When you hear the terms TPA and TPP, it soulds like a country that’s been through too many mergers.”
Update 9:52:
C-Span reporting a procedural vote on whether to end debate will begin at 10 AM.
Update: 9:46 “Why we’re rushing to end debate before it’s truly begun is mystifying,” Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) says. “The Senate hasn’t given the underlying bill the attention it deserves. I urge my colleagues to vote against cloture.”
Update: 9:44 “We’re fast-tracking the whole idea of a fast track bill. Why is that a good idea for our country?” Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) asks.
Update: 9:40 “We had a truly open process last time. That’ what the American people deserve,” Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) says. “After two votes, the Majority Leader filed for cloture. I don’t understand how we can shut down debate when 200 amendments have been filed.” He wonders what the hurry is — why the Senate needs to end debate today, when there are so many amendments pending.
Update: 9:38 “We’re voting today to end debate, we’ve barely begun debate,” Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) says. He notes only two amendments have been allowed. “200 amendments have been filed, two votes, six amendments pending,” Brown says.
Update: 9:35: “These free trade deals aren’t really about free trade,” Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) says. “If they were, they’d be a couple of pages long.”
Update:
Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) weighs in on the trade agreement:
- SESSIONS: MR. PRESIDENT, I THANK THE PRESIDENT FOR AN
OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE SOME REMARKS AND DO BELIEVE THAT SENATOR
HATCH ALLOWED A GOOD DEBATE AND SENATOR WYDEN AND THE
COMMITTEE. UNFORTUNATELY, WE’VE NOT BEEN ABLE TO HAVE THE KIND
OF AMENDMENT THAT THEY WERE — THAT THEY ALLOWED ON THE FLOOR
OF THE SENATE SO WE’RE MOVING TO THIS MASSIVE BILL WITH VERY
LITTLE DEBATE EVEN ON THE FAST-TRACK POLICY. AND IF THAT’S
ADOPTED AND THE BILL — T.P.P. APPEARS, THERE WILL BE NO
AMENDMENTS ON IT. IN A FEW MOMENTS, WE’LL BE VOTING ON WHETHER
OR NOT TO SHUT OFF DEBATE ON THE FAST-TRACK AUTHORITY
LEGISLATION. I SEE NO REASON THAT WE HAVE TO RUSH THIS. I WOULD
JUST NOTE THAT WE’VE GOT THE HIGHWAY BILL THAT’S EXPIRING.
WE’VE GOT THE PATRIOT ACT EXPIRING. THOSE ARE CRISIS THAT NEED
TO BE DEALT WITH THIS WEEK. THIS BILL DOES NOT HAVE TO BE DONE
IN THAT FASHION. AND THIS WILL BE A CRUCIAL VOTE. FAST-TRACK IS
AN AFFIRMATIVE DECISION BY CONGRESS TO SUSPEND SEVERAL OF ITS
MOST BASIC POWERS FOR THE NEXT SIX YEARS AND TO DELEGATE THOSE
POWERS TO THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE. UNDER FAST-TRACK PROCEDURE, THE
PRESIDENT, NOT CONGRESS, WRITES IMPLEMENTING LEGISLATION FOR
ANY YET UNSEEN GLOBAL PACT. WHAT THE LEGISLATION — THAT
LEGISLATION, NO MATTER ITS CONTENTS, CANNOT BE AMENDED IN ANY
FASHION. NO INDIVIDUAL MEMBER OF CONGRESS CAN ALTER ANY LINE OF
TEXT OR REMOVE A SINGLE PROVISION THAT VIOLATES THE WILL OF
CONGRESS. THAT LEGISLATION, ONCE CALLED UP, IS GUARANTEED A
SPEEDY PATH FORWARD, ONLY 20 HOURS OF DEBATE, AND THE VOTE
THRESHOLD IS LOWERED TO A SIMPLE MAJORITY. NO MATTER HOW
FAR-REACHING THE GLOBAL TRADE AGREEMENT. CONGRESS CANNOT
SUBJECT IT TO 60 VOTES, AS APPLIED TO IMPORTANT LEGISLATION
BEFORE THE SENATE, OR 67 VOTES IF IT WERE A TREATY, AS IT
REALLY SHOULD BE. CONGRESS WILL HAVE PREAPPROVED SWIFT
CONSIDERATION OF THIS SWEEPING GLOBAL PACT BEFORE THE TEXT HAS
BEEN MADE AVAILABLE AND SEEN BY A SINGLE MEMBER OF THIS BODY OR
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. SO, AS USUAL, THROUGH THESE PROCESSES AND
TOO OFTEN AMENDMENTS ARE BEING CONSTRICTED AND BLOCKED THROUGH
ONE MANEUVER OR ANOTHER. THE NET RESULT IS WE’RE COMING DOWN TO
A CLOTURE VOTE WITHOUT ANY AMENDMENTS HAVING BEEN VOTED ON. SO
TWO WEEKS AGO, MR. PRESIDENT, I SEND A LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT
OF THE UNITED STATES ASKING HOW FAST-TRACK AND THE VAST
TRANS-PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP WOULD IMPACT THE JOBS AND WAGES OF
AMERICAN WORKERS. A SIMPLE QUESTION. WOULD IT INCREASE OR
REDUCE MANUFACTURING JOBS AND WAGES IN THE UNITED STATES?
SHOULDN’T WE KNOW THAT?
IS THAT A QUESTION IMPROPER TO BE ASKED?
HE’S REFUSED TO ANSWER. I THINK THE REASON HE’S REFUSED TO
ANSWER IS BECAUSE THE ANSWER IS NOT GOOD. IT WILL NOT BE WELL
RECEIVED. AND SO THEY WANT US TO SHUT OFF DEBATE, MOVE FORWARD
WITHOUT HAVING KNEES FUNDAMENTAL QUESTIONS — HAVING THESE
FUNDAMENTAL QUESTIONS ANSWERED. FOR TOO LONG, THE UNITED STATES
HAS ENTERED INTO TRADE DEALS ON THE PROMISE OF ECONOMIC BOUNTY
ONLY TO SEE WORKERS IMPOVERISHED AND BUSINESSES DISAPPEAR. BEN
DIMICA, THE CHAIRMAN EMERITUS OF NEWPORT STEEL, EXPLAINS THAT
THIS IS BECAUSE — THESE TRADE — THESE FREE TRADE DEALS
HAVEN’T BEEN FREE TRADE DEALS AT ALL. INSTEAD, THEY’VE BEEN —
QUOTE — — “UNILATERAL TRADE DISARMAMENT,” WHERE WE LOWER OUR
BARRIERS TO FOREIGN IMPORTS BUT THEY RETAIN THEIR BARRIERS TO
OUR EXPORTS TO THESE COUNTRIES. THIS IS WHAT IS FUNDAMENTALLY
AT STAKE HERE. A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THEIR RELIGIOUS VIEW OF FREE
TRADE DON’T CARE WHETHER OTHER COUNTRIES HAVE BARRIERS. THEIR
VIEW IS WE SHOULD WELCOME MORE INPUTS — OR MORE IMPORTS. SO
DIMICO HAS CALLED THIS THE ENABLEMENT OF FOREIGN AMERICA —
MERCANTILEISM, TOO OFTEN A PHILOSOPHY THAT IS PRESENT AROUND
THE WORLD AND CERTAINLY IN THE ASIAN SECTOR. SO CONSIDER THIS
IN CONTEXT OF AUTOMOBILES. THE “WALL STREET JOURNAL” PUBLISHED
A STORY TWO DAYS AGO ABOUT THE HOW THE AMERICAN AUTO SECTOR
COULD BE JEOPARDIZED BY T.P.P. THE JOURNAL WROTE — QUOTE —
“THE TRANSPORTATION SECTOR, LED BY CARS, THE T.P.P. COULD BOOST
IMPORTS OF FOREIGN CARS BY AN EXTRA $30.8 BILLION BY 2028 —
2025 COMPARED WITH OUR EXPORT GAIN OF $ 7.8 BILLION.” SO THE
IMPORT OF AUTOMOBILES WOULD INCREASE BY $30.8 BILLION AND ON
YOU ARE EXPORTS WOULD BE INCREASED ONLY $7.8 BILLION. THAT WAS
WRITTEN — A STUDY WRITTEN BY PETER PITRI, A PROFESSOR OF
INTERNAL FINANCE AT BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY. WELL, THAT’S NOT GOING
{09:24:45}
TO ADD JOBS. TO ADD DRAMATICALLY MORE IMPORTS THAN EXPORTS. SO
THAT’S WHY WE CAN’T GET AN ANSWER, PERHAPS. IN OTHER WORDS,
JOB-KILLING IMPORTS WOULD VASTLY EXCEED ANY GROWTH IN FOREIGN
EXPORTS, PUTTING MORE AMERICANS OUT OF WORK. WE’VE SEEN THIS
STORY BEFORE. THE SOUTH KOREAN TRADE DEAL — AND I SUPPORTED
THAT. I HAVE GREAT RESPECT FOR THE SOUTH KOREANS AND THE
JAPANESE, TOO, AND THEIR BUSINESS ACUMEN, BUT THE SOUTH KOREAN
{09:25:19}
TRADE DEAL, WHICH WAS SUPPOSED TO BOOST OUR EXPORTS BY MORE
THAN $10 BILLION ACTUALLY ENDED UP INCREASING OUR EXPORTS LESS
THAN $1 BILLION, $.8 BILLION, TRUTH BE KNOWN. INSTEAD, THE BILL
BOOST THE SOUTH KOREAN IMPORTS TO OUR COUNTRY BY MORE THAN $12
BILLION, NEARLY DOUBLING THE TRADE GAP BETWEEN OUR TWO NATIONS,
WHICH WAS ALREADY LARGE NOW THEY SAY, WELL, THIS TIME IT’S
{09:25:55}
DIFFERENT; TRUST US. GIVE US SIX MORE YEARS OF EXECUTIVE
AUTHORITY TO PASS ANY GLOBAL DEAL WE LIKE UNDER FAST-TRACK. NO
DEAL HAS EVER BEEN BLOCKED. WELL, RESPECTFULLY, RESPECTFULLY,
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE DON’T TRUST YOU. HERE IS WHAT THE PEW
FOUNDATION OR PEW FOUNDATION OR POLL REPORTED RECENTLY. 20% OF
{09:26:27}
AMERICANS THINK THESE TRADE AGREEMENTS CREATE JOBS. 50% SAY IT
DESTROYS JOBS. HAVE WE BEEN ADDING JOBS IN MANUFACTURING OR
LOSING JOBS IN MANUFACTURING?
WE’VE BEEN LOSING JOBS IN MANUFACTURING. ARE THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE SO WRONG IN THAT CONCLUSION?
45% OF AMERICANS THINK TRADE REDUCES WAGES. ONLY 17% SAY IT
INCREASES THEM. BY CONTRAST, 72% OF VIETNAMESE BELIEVE THIS
TRADE AGREEMENT WOULD INCREASE THEIR SALARIES. AND BECAUSE
{09:26:59}
T.P.P. IS A LIVING AGREEMENT, IT CAN BE CHANGED AFTER ADOPTION.
IT SAYS IN THE LANGUAGE OF THE AGREEMENT WHERE IT HAS THIS
LIVING AGREEMENT LANGUAGE THAT THIS IS UNPRECEDENTED, THE FIRST
TIME THIS HAS BEEN PUT IN A TRADE AGREEMENT. THE CONGRESSIONAL
RESEARCH SERVICE TELLS US THAT TOO. AND SO WE’RE NOW CREATING A
FOREIGN INTERNATIONAL ENTITY, ONE MORE INTERNATIONAL ENTITY
WITH A COMMISSION THAT MEETS AND VOTES AND MAKES DECISIONS THAT
ARE BINDING ON THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. FRANKLY, I THINK
{09:27:32}
THIS GREAT NATION IS A — EXPOSING ITSELF TO TOO MANY OF THESE
AGREEMENTS. AND TYING DOWN THE ABILITY OF THE WORLD’S GREATEST
POWER AND ECONOMIC ENGINE, THE UNITED STATES, IS WEAKENING OUR
ABILITY TO FUNCTION IN THE WAY THAT SOVEREIGNTY SHOULD ALLOW US
TO FUNCTION. SO DANGEROUSLY, THIS AGREEMENT CREATES A NEW
GOVERNING GLOBAL AUTHORITY THAT WOULD ADD NEW MEMBERS AT THEIR
CHOICE, CHANGE THE TERMS OF THE AGREEMENT AND EVEN SUBJECT U.S.
{09:28:08}
CITIZENS TO ITS RULING ADJUDICATED IN AN INTERNATIONAL
TRIBUNAL. IT IS THIS TIME — IT IS TIME FOR CONGRESS TO DEFEND
ITS SHAREHOLDERS, OUR SHAREHOLDERS SHAREHOLDERS — THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE. IT’S TIME TO RETURN TO THE REGULAR ORDER, TO THE
PRINCIPLES OF SOUND GOVERNANCE AND TO ASSERT, NOT SURRENDER,
THE POWER OF CONGRESS TO THE OVERREACHING CHIEF EXECUTIVE. SO
I’M, THEREFORE, GOING TO OPPOSE SHUTTING OFF DEBATE. IT
{09:28:41}
ACTUALLY HAS NOT EVEN BEGUN, I AM FRUSTRATED THAT TWO OF MY
REASONABLE AMENDMENTS I THINK WOULD HAVE A VERY GOOD CHANCE OF
PASSING HAVE NOT — HAVE BEEN BLOCKED AND AA– APPARENTLY WILL
NOT GET A VOTE. AND I DON’T THINK WE HAVE ANY NEED TO SHUT OFF
DEBATE TODAY, TO ADVANCE TO A I BILL WHERE WE’VE HAD TOO FEW
AMENDMENTS AND WHERE WE’VE HAD A STEADFAST REFUSAL BY THE
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, WHO’S PUSHING EVERY WAY HE CAN
TO GET THIS AGREEMENT ADOPTED, NOT GUILTY HE ANSWERS THE —
{09:29:16}
UNTIL HE ANSWERS THE QUESTION — WILL IT IMPROVE MANUFACTURING
OR FURTHER REDUCE PERFORMING?
AS OUR PREVIOUS AGREEMENT WITH KOREA DID, REDUCED
MANUFACTURING. WILL IT INCREASE JOBS OR REDUCE JOBS?
ALL THEY PROMISE IS — AND THEY PROMISE THIS REPEATEDLY — THAT
IT WILL INCREASE JOBS IN THE EXPORT SECTOR. THEY DON’T SAY WHAT
IT WILL DO ON NET WHEN YOU HAVE THREE, FOUR TIMES AS MUCH
IMPORTS AS YOU DO EXPORTS. ON NET, AS IN THE PAST, IT APPEARS
{09:29:49}
THIS AGREEMENT WILL CLEARLY REDUCE JOBS AND REDUCE WAGES, TOO.
AND REDUCE MANUFACTURING. WE CAN’T BE A STRONG NATION WITHOUT A
MANUFACTURING SECTOR.
A STEEL INDUSTRY. WE JUST CANNOT. AND WE NEED TO ENSURE IN
THESE TRADE AGREEMENTS WHEN WE OPEN OUR MARKETS, WHAT THESE
COUNTRIES WANT SO DESPERATELY — ACCESS TO THE UNITED STATES
MARKET — THAT’S SOMETHING OF GREAT VALUE. WE SHOULD NOT GIVE
IT AWAY UNTIL THEY AGREE TO OPEN THEIR MARKETS. THAT’S WHAT A
GOOD DEAL IS. THAT IS NOT WHAT’S IN THIS DEAL, AND IT WILL NOT
{09:30:37}
BE IN THE AGREEMENT, AND IT WILL BE LIKE PREVIOUS AGREEMENTS.
WHEN MR. DEMICO, WHO’S BEEN
INVOLVED IN TRADE FOR YEARS SAYS WE’RE INVOLVED IN
MERCANTILISM, WHAT HE’S SAILING IS OUR TRADING PARTNERS HAVE A
GOAL THAT WE DON’T SEEM TO HAVE, AND THAT IS TO MAXIMIZE THEIR
EXPORTS AND MINIMIZE THEIR IMPORTS. THEY HAVE A MERCANTILIST
{09:31:37}
PHILOSOPHY. THAT PHILOSOPHY ALLOWS THEM TO PUT UP NON-TRADE
BARRIERS, NONTARIFF BARRIERS, TO USE CURRENCY MANIPULATION AND
OTHER TACTICS TO MAKE IT DIFFICULT FOR THE UNITED STATES TO
PENETRATE THEIR MARKET. THEY SAY THEY’VE SIGNED A TRADE
AGREEMENT, AND THEY’LL AGREE ON TARIFFS, FOR EXAMPLE, BUT THEY
STILL ON NET DON’T OPEN THEIR MARKET EFFECTIVELY, LIKE WE OPEN
OUR MARKETS. THAT’S THE REALITY. AND, AS A RESULT, WE’VE HAD A
{09:32:12}
CONTINUAL DECLINE IN MANUFACTURING. WE’VE SEEN A SURGE IN THE
— WE’VE SEEN A SURGE IN OUR TRADE DEFICITS. MARCH WAS THE
HIGHEST TRADE DEFICIT IN ALMOST A DECADE. THE WHOLE FIRST
QUARTER WAS HORRIBLE. OUR TRADE DEFICITS ARE INCREASING, AND IF
THIS AGREEMENT IS PASSED, WILL IT INCREASE OR DECREASE OUR
TRADE DEFICITS?
ISN’T THAT A FAIR QUESTION TO ASK?
WILL IT INCREASE OR DECREASE OUR TRADE DEFICITS?
{09:32:49}
THEY WILL NOT ANSWER. THE ANSWER IS, UNFORTUNATELY, IT’S GOING
TO INCREASE OUR TRADE DEFICITS. WE KNOW THAT. IF IT WERE NOT
TRUE, THEY’D BE HOLLERING HOW GREAT IT’S GOING TO REDUCE OUR
TRADE DEFICITS. THEY WOULD BE SAYING, ON NET, WE’RE GOING TO
HAVE MORE JOBS. THEY WOULD SAY WAGES WOULD GO UP. BUT THE TRUTH
IS, WE’RE NOT NEGOTIATING THESE AGREEMENTS EFFECTIVELY, AND THE
NET RESULT IS IT’S GOING TO WEAKEN MANUFACTURING, ALLOW A
{09:33:21}
REDUCTION IN JOBS, AND REALLY PUT DOWNWARD PRESSURE ON WAGES.
SO, COLLEAGUES, I HATE TO CHOOSE TO OPPOSE THIS LEGISLATION AT
THIS TIME, BUT I’VE COME TO THAT CONCLUSION. I’VE SUPPORTED
MOST OF OUR TRADE AGREEMENTS IN THE PAST. I UNDERSTAND THAT WE
ARE IN A GLOBAL ECONOMY, WE’VE GOT TRADING PARTNERS AROUND THE
WORLD. THERE’S NO WAY WE’RE GOING IT REVERSE THAT. GLOBALISM IS
HERE TO STAY. WE NEED TO BE A PART OF IT, BUT IT’S TIME FOR OUR
{09:34:01}
NATION TO PROTECT OUR MANUFACTURING AND OUR WORKERS FROM UNFAIR
COMPETITION. AND WE CANNOT TAKE THE VIEW, AS SOME DO AND SAY
OPENLY, THAT ABOUT OPPOSING OUR CARPETTERS — OUR COMPETITORS
MANIPULATE THEIR CURRENCY TO MAKE THEIR PRODUCTS CHEAPER AND
THEY PENETRATE OUR MARKET AND CLOSE AMERICAN BUSINESSES AS A
RESULT. WE CANNOT SAY THAT’S ALL RIGHT. WE GOT CHEAPER
PRODUCTS. DON’T WORRY ABOUT IT. IN THE LONG RUN SOMEWHERE ALONG
{09:34:33}
THE WAY, IT WILL ALL WORK OUT. THAT IS A GUIDING PRINCIPLE FOR
THE PEOPLE PUSHING THIS LEGISLATION. THEY WON’T ADMIT IT — AT
LEAST THE POLITICIANS WON’T PUBLICLY — BUT WE KNOW THAT’S THE
GUIDING PRINCIPLE. I SAY THAT’S A MISTAKE. I SAY THAT’S AN
EXTREME POSITION. I SAY THAT WE DO HAVE AN INTEREST IN
PROTECTING OUR JOBS, OUR MANUFACTURING, AND THE ABILITY OF
AMERICAN PEOPLE TO HAVE A GOOD JOB, TO HAVE A RETIREMENT PLAN,
TO HAVE AN INSURANCE POLICY. I THINK THAT’S IMPORTANT. SO I
{09:35:08}
WOULD URGE THAT WE BACK OFF THIS AGREEMENT NOW AND LET’S REAL
ESTATE EVALUATE IT AND — REEVALUATE IT AND HAVE THE PRESIDENT
OF THE UNITED STATES ANSWER THE QUESTION: WOULD WE CREATE HIGHER WAGES OR LOWER
WAGES?
WILL WE INCREASE MANUFACTURING OR REDUCE MANUFACTURING?
WILL WE INCREASE WAGES OR NOT?
UPDATE: 9:15:
The Associated Press reports: “Supporters of President Barack Obama’s trade agenda are scrambling to keep Senate foes from killing it Thursday before a full-blown debate even begins.”
A cloture vote is expected today, and would require 60 senators to vote aye. That vote can happen any time after 10 AM.
Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT), is leading the measure. He tells AP he doesn’t yet have a reliable count of how the vote will go. ” if the Ex-Im issue was making it tougher to round up 60 votes, he said: “Everything here makes it tougher. You just have to go on ahead.”
Hatch said he had no reliable nose-count for Thursday’s vote.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.