Brian4Liberty
04-27-2015, 09:55 AM
Just like Obamacare and CRomnibus, TPP is another smokey back room, crony corporatist dream.
This letter from Elizabeth Warren and Sherrod Brown sets the perfect tone for the debate on the TPP. It is respectful while at the same time not backing down an inch in their criticisms of the process so far. It lays out the case on the whole secrecy issue, and while being respectful of the President themselves ask for the same respectfulness from him.
Having worked inside a White House, been involved in behind closed doors negotiations, and been aware of the difference between classified and non-classified government material, I want to add this point in support of Warren's and Brown's request for opening these documents up the public: the proper role of making documents classified is in the national security interests of the country. In other words, military intelligence, information on terrorist threats, information on security vulnerabilities for our country, information from diplomatic discussions on threats to the stability of other countries. Trade negotiations don't qualify for any of that: they are not security issues, they are about who wins and loses economically from the negotiations, and that is something the public should know about in a democratic society. I understand the need for some private conversations during the back and forth of negotiations, but this trade deal is mostly done. This is not black box, dark ops stuff. And if a bunch of big business execs have information and access to the negotiations, you and I should too.
...
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-lux/senators-warren-and-brown_b_7152366.html
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, have urged President Barack Obama to “promptly declassify” the draft details of a proposed international trade agreement in a letter sent Saturday. The senators point out that the Obama administration has pushed for “fast-track” approval status to help the deal through Congress, before fully disclosing the details of the agreement to the public.
The Trans-Pacific Partnership could become the largest international free-trade treaty, governing trade between a dozen Pacific nations, including the United States. World leaders and advisors are currently negotiating its terms, and have been since 2005. Earlier this month, Senate Finance Committee Chair Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, co-sponsored legislation that would only allow members of Congress to vote “yes” or “no” on the final deal’s approval to prevent legislators from tinkering with the terms set by leaders and advisors.
Members of Congress may read the draft text of the deal as it stands today but are prohibited from publicly discussing the full details, which have yet to be made available to the public or the press.
In the letter sent to Obama, Warren and Brown point out that industry groups have had plenty of chance to review the document and provide input, since the deal is shaped by the members of 28 advisory committees and 85 percent of those members are corporate executives or industry lobbyists, but everyday Americans have not.
“Before Congress votes to facilitate the adoption of the TPP, the American people should be allowed to see for themselves whether it’s a good deal for them,” the senators write.
...
More: http://big.assets.huffingtonpost.com/WarrenBrownTPPLetter.pdf
Full Text of letter here:
http://big.assets.huffingtonpost.com/WarrenBrownTPPLetter.pdf
Anyone know how to cut and paste from this PDF?
This letter from Elizabeth Warren and Sherrod Brown sets the perfect tone for the debate on the TPP. It is respectful while at the same time not backing down an inch in their criticisms of the process so far. It lays out the case on the whole secrecy issue, and while being respectful of the President themselves ask for the same respectfulness from him.
Having worked inside a White House, been involved in behind closed doors negotiations, and been aware of the difference between classified and non-classified government material, I want to add this point in support of Warren's and Brown's request for opening these documents up the public: the proper role of making documents classified is in the national security interests of the country. In other words, military intelligence, information on terrorist threats, information on security vulnerabilities for our country, information from diplomatic discussions on threats to the stability of other countries. Trade negotiations don't qualify for any of that: they are not security issues, they are about who wins and loses economically from the negotiations, and that is something the public should know about in a democratic society. I understand the need for some private conversations during the back and forth of negotiations, but this trade deal is mostly done. This is not black box, dark ops stuff. And if a bunch of big business execs have information and access to the negotiations, you and I should too.
...
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-lux/senators-warren-and-brown_b_7152366.html
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, have urged President Barack Obama to “promptly declassify” the draft details of a proposed international trade agreement in a letter sent Saturday. The senators point out that the Obama administration has pushed for “fast-track” approval status to help the deal through Congress, before fully disclosing the details of the agreement to the public.
The Trans-Pacific Partnership could become the largest international free-trade treaty, governing trade between a dozen Pacific nations, including the United States. World leaders and advisors are currently negotiating its terms, and have been since 2005. Earlier this month, Senate Finance Committee Chair Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, co-sponsored legislation that would only allow members of Congress to vote “yes” or “no” on the final deal’s approval to prevent legislators from tinkering with the terms set by leaders and advisors.
Members of Congress may read the draft text of the deal as it stands today but are prohibited from publicly discussing the full details, which have yet to be made available to the public or the press.
In the letter sent to Obama, Warren and Brown point out that industry groups have had plenty of chance to review the document and provide input, since the deal is shaped by the members of 28 advisory committees and 85 percent of those members are corporate executives or industry lobbyists, but everyday Americans have not.
“Before Congress votes to facilitate the adoption of the TPP, the American people should be allowed to see for themselves whether it’s a good deal for them,” the senators write.
...
More: http://big.assets.huffingtonpost.com/WarrenBrownTPPLetter.pdf
Full Text of letter here:
http://big.assets.huffingtonpost.com/WarrenBrownTPPLetter.pdf
Anyone know how to cut and paste from this PDF?