Sen. Brown Will Block Obama's Trade Nominee until text of the TPP available to eligible staffers

[Ichingcarpenter]

Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) said Friday that he will block a trade nominee’s Senate floor vote until the Obama administration makes the text of a sweeping transpacific agreement available to eligible staffers.

Brown said he put a hold on the Marisa Lago, whose nomination for deputy U.S. trade representative cleared the Senate Finance Committee earlier this month but awaits a final confirmation vote from the full Senate.

“The administration would rather sacrifice a nominee for a key post than improve transparency of the largest trade agreement ever negotiated,” Brown said in a statement.

“This deal could affect more the 40 percent of our global economy, but even seasoned policy advisors with the requisite security clearance can’t review text without being accompanied by a Member of Congress,” he said.












http://thehill.com/policy/finance/251181-democrat-to-block-obama-trade-nominee

[daybranch]

1. A democrat with spine and who cares

This makes me so proud I volunteered and worked hard for Sherrod Brown for Senator. Sherrod, Bernie, and Elizabeth Warren are the Senators who speak up to protect the people.
The TPP is an attack on the national sovereignty of the countries involved by the business oligarchy trying to rid themselves of any democratic enacted regulation. The TPP is actually the largest attack on our rights as citizens that I can imagine. Obama seems to do some things to build popularity while trying to sneak through this gift to the oligarchy.

[msanthrope]

2. It's pretty disgusting, actually, holding up a qualified woman from an important job as a pawn.

When the Republicans hold up nominations of federal judges on ideological or other craven grounds, do we cheer? The only reason, if you are truly serving the people of the United States, to hold a nomination is if the nominee isn't qualified.

If Marisa Lago is qualified, then she should have the job.

[rpannier]

3. All the administration s to do is let eligible staffers see it

w/o a chaperone

[msanthrope]

4. Indeed, so we hold up a qualified woman from an important job because a Senator wants security rules

changed to suit their schedule. Because Senator Brown can't find the time to read the TPP.

If a Republican pulled this shit, would you support it? Think about that for a second---If a Republican Senator held up the nomination of a federal judge because they didn't like the security rules for gaining access to the Iranian accords, would you support that?

[Dustlawyer]

8. None of the Senators have the time to read every bill, that's what the staffers do. They summarize

the key points because Seantors are in hearings, meetings, phone calls and reading summaries. By requiring the Senator to be with them defeats the purpose. Obama knows they don't have time to do this so they won't be able to read it. That's wrong!

[msanthrope]

10. This do-nothing Congress has no time to read a bill they are grandstanding on? And it's okay to use

a qualified woman as a pawn?

[brer cat]

6. That doesn't justify holding up a qualified person.

I agree with msanthrope; we scream when republicans do it.

[Ichingcarpenter]

7. That doesn't justify holding up a qualified person from viewing the trade deal?

No irony there............

[brer cat]

9. They are separate issues.

The person being held up is not the one who is blocking anyone from viewing the trade deal. She deserves a vote based on her qualifications alone not how they feel about PBO's handling of the issue.

[avebury]

5. I would like to see him put it on hold until the the entire

document is made public for everyone to see, not just Senate staff.

[Ichingcarpenter]

11. No one senator is an expert on any one subject

which is why they have staffers with expertise in certain areas.

Its ridiculous expecting a senator to be on his own on this important issue.

[avebury]

16. I don't think you understood my post.

They should make the entire document available to the public so that everyone has a chance to read it.

Why should they be allowed to hide behind closed doors to pass detrimental stuff? If they really believe in what they are doing, then put is out in the light of day.

[Omaha Steve]

12. I love the blank space

K&R!

[Ichingcarpenter]

13. I support Sen. Brown on this

Its very little to ask in order to make an educated decision on this.

[randome]

14. Of course you do. Because you don't like the TPP.

I don't think the TPP is the 'end-of-the-world' document some believe but I don't care if it passes or not. But to hold up an unrelated, qualified candidate in order to get his way, I think Brown is behaving like a Republican.

And he shouldn't.

I wonder if staffers are allowed to look at all secret negotiations. I wonder about the Iran nuclear deal. My guess is that they are not.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]Birds are territorial creatures.
The lyrics to the songbird's melodious trill go something like this:
"Stay out of my territory or I'll PECK YOUR GODDAMNED EYES OUT!"[/center][/font][hr]

[Ichingcarpenter]

15. LOL

keep digging this post ........ so more can see it and recommend it.

[avebury]

17. If TPP is not the "end-of-the-world" document as you say,

then why not make it public for everyone to be able to read it?

[randome]

19. No multi-nation treaty is made available to the public while still in negotiation.

It simply isn't done. You don't get a vote any more than you do on the Iran deal. When the language is codified, our representatives vote yay or nay. That's how it's done in a representative democracy.

I don't understand this need to make this one treaty different from all other multi-nation treaties other than 'going with the flow' on the Internet meme that anything we can't micro-manage is by definition bad for us.

The final TPP may, indeed, be a bad deal. I kind of doubt it but we will see when the negotiations are complete and the treaty is submitted to Congress. At that point, the entire document will be public.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]There is nothing you can't do if you put your mind to it.
Nothing.[/center][/font][hr]

[ananda]

18. Good!

Thank you, Senator Brown.

[AzDar]

20. Sherrod Brown is one of the good ones; so very rare these days. He deserves to know

that citizens all over this country support and appreciate his fight.

[Elwood P Dowd]

21. The revolving Wall Street/USTR door keeps on giving. Marisa Lago is yet another Citigroup

Wall Street alum placed in the USTR office.

Some say she is qualified for the job. Qualified for what? Qualified to continue shafting workers and giving the big corporations more control over local, state, and federal government? How big of a bonus will be handed out to Marisa when it's time to go back to Citigroup?