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Legislation key to US President Barack Obama's trade agenda has passed a key hurdle in the Senate, just two weeks after it appeared to have failed.
The bill known as the Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) or, more commonly, Fast Track, makes it easier for presidents to negotiate trade deals.
Supporters see it as critical to the success of a 12-nation trade deal known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).
The bill is expected to pass a final vote in the Senate on Wednesday.
Tuesday's 60-37 vote - just barely meeting the required 60 vote threshold - is the result of the combined efforts of the White House and many congressional Republicans to push the bill through Congress, despite the opposition of many Democrats.
This is primarily a tech news site, and it's generally good to avoid political news, but the TPP is a huge trade deal, negotiated in secret, that will have large ramifications for the world economy that affects us all, and that also has large implications for the accountability of major world governments to their citizens.
Original Submission
(Score: 2, Disagree) by curunir_wolf on Wednesday June 24 2015, @08:02PM
Further, if TPP is passed, does it then become public? or does it still remain secret? If it becomes public can it's provisions be struck down by the courts?
What they have done here pre-ratify a treaty. They've decided they don't need to wait until the treaty is written and signed, they have provided the Constitutionally-required treaty ratification ahead of time, so when the President signs whatever it turns out to be, it already has the force of law.
So will it become public? Only if the President decides it will. Can it be struck down by the courts? No, not really. If there are provisions that are in direct conflict with the Constitution, it's possible they could strike down that provision. Of course, the treaty could always include provisions that trigger some other specific things if a court challenge is successful.
One thing that this vote does do is ensure the treaty will need to go back to Congress for anything. They have just given the President a blank check to sign anything he wants to, and it's automatically a ratified treaty.
I am a crackpot
(Score: 4, Informative) by bob_super on Wednesday June 24 2015, @08:08PM
Nope. As in nope. Not even close.
Unless they changed the definition of fast-track, they still have to vote on it, but they can't change it.
It's an up-down vote only, to avoid endless tinkering with provisions which have taken years to agree with with our "partners".