NotiCEA Flash: What is going on with the FTA?
Although we witnessed progress throughout the month of June, and saw strong signals regarding the approval of the pending FTA´s from the Obama administration. Once again American politics and the effects of the economic crisis have created another obstacle, hopefully temporary, on the road towards the final vote.
Yesterday, two different and contradictory news regarding the negotiations between the White House and Congress where brought up, concerning the National Debt. Although sources reported that a deal between President Obama and John Boehner (Republican leader) was about to be concluded, neither the White house nor the Congressman´s speakers confirmed it. Many analysts assure that if there is no agreement on how to deal with the national debt, then there will not be any agreement on how to send the legislation in order to approve the remaining FTA´s before the legislative recess in August.
As we have reported before, the friction point between Democrats and republicans when speaking of FTA´s is centered at the TAA, a program that helps workers that are displaced as an effect of free trade.
The White House and the democrats have included the continuation of the TAA within the legislation to implement the FTA with Korea. The Republicans strongly oppose this tactic and state that they are not against the TAA, but they want the TAA to be debated independently from the FTA´s. The democrats and the White House think that if the TAA isn’t sent as a part of the legislation of the FTA with Korea, who holds “Fast Track” protection, then Republicans will block or dilate the TAA especially in the Senate.
Last Tuesday, July 19 2011, twelve influential Republicans sent a letter to President Obama asking him to send the remaining three FTA´s to congress as early as possible considering the TAA separately. They stated their support towards the TAA with “cloture, a mechanism that limits the debating time for law implementation projects. This promise could open the path for the FTA´s since these twelve senators guarantee 60 votes that would approve the TAA in the senate. This would avoid “Filibuster”, another mechanism that is used to dilate the debates and avoid laws that are passed for some type of consideration. We have attached the letter regarding the matter.
As always, we will be informing you of any news as soon as new information is released.