PHILADELPHIA, Jan 29 (Reuters) – Senior Democrats in the House of Representatives said on Thursday they would insist President Barack Obama provide hard evidence that proposed free trade deals will boost median U.S. incomes, laying out tough terms to support his trade agenda.
The demands, hours before Obama’s address to a House Democratic retreat, are part of a renewed focus by the party on middle-class economic issues.
Republicans have made free trade a top priority and have called on Obama to bring Democrats into line.
Obama last week proposed shifting tax breaks from the wealthy to the middle class. He also asked Congress to give him “fast-track” authority to negotiate trade agreements, something many Democrats oppose, fearing American workers would lose more ground.
Will Dems ‘hold the line?’ Uh, yeah suuure they will.
Anyone noticing the heavy coverage by the MCM (Mainstream Corporate Media) of the TPP and fast track Obama is asking for?
Notice all the coverage of provisions of the TPP?
Oh…yeah. Right.
Anyone been noticing that for the most part anything which disadvantages the 99% (well, fer sure, the 80%) that Congress and the WH are proposing, trying to get passed, gets hardly any attention to, oh, facts and stuff, until, sometimes the day before passage, sometimes just after passage? Occasionally, a few days before….
Isn’t the the Fourth Estate a great help in a democracy? Heh.
We Democrats demand the same assurances you gave us before all the past trade pacts!