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Subscribe to RSSSenate Republicans are threatening to block Commerce Secretary nominee John Bryson's confirmation until President Obama sends three free-trade agreements to Congress for approval. At issue are agreements with Colombia, Panama, and South Korea that were negotiated during the Bush administration.
The initial threat to block the eventual Commerce nominee over the trade agreements came in March -- in a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, which was signed by 44 Senate Republicans. Aides to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said today the Senate GOP position remains the same.
White House Press Secretary Jay Carney told reporters this afternoon that "technical discussions" with Congress are on-going, but it would be "folly" to hold up the Commerce Secretary nomination over the free-trade agreements.
Senate Republicans and the White House disagree over extending financial and other assistance to workers who lose their jobs or whose work is reduced by rising imports. This is known in Washington-speak as TAA -- Trade Adjustment Assistance. Parts of TAA expired in February.
Carney today said the White House believes renewal of TAA assistance should be part of congressional approval of the trade agreements. Republicans are reluctant, given the don't-spend-anymore-money climate in Congress.
At a Senate Finance Committee hearing last week, Ranking Member Orrin Hatch said TAA is too expensive and President Obama should drop his insistence that it be attached to the free-trade agreements.
"TAA, as I view it, is not going to pass in this Congress. And what I'm having trouble with is stopping these three trade agreements when you know that it isn't going to pass, especially in the form that you want it to pass, in 7.2 billion bucks over 10 years," he said.
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This is really get boring. Instead of posting this, you could just say, "Republicans again prove that they do not care about this country, and have forgotten that they serve the people."
NEWS UPDATE: "Senate GOP threatens to block Obama's Commerce pick"...
How in da world is this news? Isn't this just standard protocol for the GOP/TP party?
Quite frankly it would be breaking news, if they supported Obama in any way (any way at all)....
Regards,
Tunde
And to think that past republican nominations have sailed thru the approval process with full support from democrat senators. LMAO at those always trying to blame the right.
This is standard operating procedure from the GOP. There is nothing new here. They would rather see Obama lose than see America win.
Feisty – “It will be interesting to hear what cockamamie excuse the Dopes of Nope come up with to block his nomination!”
That didn’t take long !!
LOL! They're not called the G'NO'P for nuttin ya know! ;o)
Hell, it's to the point that if President Obama let THEM make the choice - they would STILL block it!
It's beyond ridiculous... *shakes head*
Good call Feisty... I'm giving you another name from now on... how about "the oracle"?? :)
Feisty is rarely off the mark on predictive GOP/TP behavior.
I like the 'sound' of that! ;o)
Awww! Thanks Missy! It helps that the GOP/TP are as predictable as the sun setting in the west! lol
There's that "logic" thing getting in the way again. Republicans actually want to lose jobs to trade agreements but are unwilling to protect those AMERICANS who are affected. So not only do they continue to protect big busines - they protect big FOREIGN business too!
But of course they would have plans to block this nomination, what else do they do? They have no plans to better the country, in any way possible.
It is really sad to see a country wither on the vine of Teapartyism, there is no more GOP, just a band of political pirates willing to do anything but legitimate work. The failure of the President is their major plan, but only to acquire power, if they would be therefore successful, they will do nothing for the middle class, nothing to help the country move forward, nothing but to help themselves and their very rich puppetmasters. And anyone who votes or supports these reprehensible characters are every bit as bad as they are their enablers. ,
Remember that vines can be parasites that kill. That is the part that the teaparty plays in American politics.
If the 'agreements' negotiated by the BUSH league need a critcal viewing by President OBAMA before being implemented I think it thoughtful and only wise to do so. They likely gave away the farm with benefits.
Hold-ups are a new skill set for Republicans/TPers. They held their breath until Obama extended the BUSH tax cuts another 2 years. In his effort to 'work with' the opposition he even postponed his own promise to end the tax cuts in order to get America's unemployed the help they needed among other priorities of his administration.
This arrest in progress is a loooooong strategy the RIGHT thinks they can win but they are counting on the whole of America to be stuck on stupid. Well about half of us have never been stupid and I'd say another quarter of US All are beginning to see that the facist rightwingers DO NOT have their best interests at heart.
In fact, the heart they have is for highrollers only. Corporate or private does not matter. The money baggers ilk knows no other heart.
No surprise here...they hold up everything Democratic or Obama sight unseen. Just because Obama nominated him he is ALL BAD, cannot be listened to, and certainly should not be voing yes on anything this administration wants even if it is good for the country.
nothing funnier than liberal redistibutionists posting about international trade and commerce!
The Commerce Dept is more about trade whether it be domestic or international. The following is what they are responsible for in our everyday lives:
And there is nothng funny about them. They all make our lives better in one form or another.
It's republicans who are the redistributionists but the GOP has been very effective at convincing middle and low income Americans that it's the democrats. That's fact, not fiction.
More Cowbell, er...Bryson!...Three threads are NOT enough!...
Republicans, the Party of No; once again they prove they are nothing but empty suits whose sole goal is to defeat, obstruct, block all things President Obama regardless of the harm they cause. The GNOPTP simply does not care about anything or anyone in this country beyond their own self-serving interest in election.
Republicans during the Bush years claimed every presidential nominee deserved an up or down vote yet with few exceptions they have blocked or put holds on the President's nominees. It is disgusting. This is nothing but petty, partisan nonsense from the GOPTP. This is exactly why Americans have such a low opinion of Congress, especially of republicans these days.
Can't we just get 34 Senators to vote against these job killing "free trade" agreements and make the Republican's objection moot?
Seems that the "Jobs" Plan presented last Thursday that claimed 250,000 new jobs (1 month of need job expansion) has been fact-checked. It will actually cost 159,000 more American jobs. Makes one wonder why the President would ask for TAA to be included in the trade bills.
The Republican leadership has established a new pinnacle of intelligence.
"The Republican leadership has established a new pinnacle of intelligence."
You're kidding, right?
Big whooping surprise. It is like the story earlier today stating, Romney criticises Obama. Real news would read Romney agrees with Obama (on anything) or McConnell says Obama pick for Commerce Secretary will fly (when pigs fly) through the Senate.
The above story is more like dog bites man, painful, but not news.
GOP threatening President Obama - again! US president Ronald Reagan, who was a self-declared conservative, is widely seen as a symbol of American conservatism. In an interview, he said "I believe the very heart and soul of conservatism is libertarianism." Here's a known individual who openly stated the virtues of Libertarian conservative. GOP/TEA party-ers have shut down the daily operations of Government and are known as Social Conservatives. The question is who are these self appointed politicians to force their Social conservative values on the American public? Who do these people think they are to shove their agenda down the throat of the American public?
Who are these people that think, we as Americans have to go along with what they believe????? Crazy!!!!!
So whatelse is new?
It seems that they block every nomination. Who is suppose to run the country if they do that? Dont really understand how this is productive for the country just seems like political hostage taking to me.With me as a hostage.
The RE-peat-the-lie-to-the-PUBLIC-ans are nothing more than saboteurs of government efficiency. They deliberately fumble their oversight duties when in power and undermine effective government when they are not in power, because that all benefits their masters.
Once again, the GOP will do anything and everything to make sure President Obama fails.
It's time the Republicans stop blocking American business leaders from helping America.
It's truly sad that a successful American businessman's confirmation may be held up and prevent America from adding jobs. Republicans need to be held accountable for stopping job growth in America.
the rules in the senate have to change! they stop government from functioning? if your party doesn't control both housees nothing gets done???