As Fast Track Authority for #TPP is set to hit the House floor next week, Democratic Presidential Primary candidate Hillary Clinton remains silent on organized labors biggest trade fight in a generation.
On Friday, May 22, 2015 the U.S. Senate passed a bill pushing the Trans-Pacific Partnership along its path towards gaining Fast Track Authority, which gives the President the ability to expedite Congressional ratification while denying lawmakers a chance to conduct thorough debate or submit amendments to improve the proposed "trade agreement". Passage of Fast Track in the Senate didn't happen without a serious fight, with the bill being blocked in the initial vote because of serious opposition from Democrats and all elements of organized labor. That opposition is due to expected negative effects on wages and potential job growth in the U.S., and seems to be growing daily as the broader public becomes more educated on the issue. Eventually it did win enough votes, but only after corporations paid both Senate Republicans and Democrats over $1,100,000 to change their votes accordingly.
According to the Federal Elections Commission, political donations made on behalf of the US Business Coalition for TPP showed that on average $17,676.48 was donated to each of the 65 votes in support, with the average Republican member receiving $19,673.28 and the average Democrat receiving $9,689.23 from those same donors.
With the controversial bill heading into its final stage, many view it as a referendum on whether unions will be able to garner enough political support to kill the TPP. That's been the talking point attached to most major union-led battles in recent memory, and while victories are far and few in between, all you have to do is look to Texas, where an anti-union bill designed to destroy the ability of public employee unions ability to automatically deduct dues
was defeated. In that victory, we can see that there are still many reasons for optimism, and enough progress to sustain the fight.
As Presidential Primary campaigns are beginning to take off, Democrats are looking for Hillary Clinton to come out with strong opposition for TPP, which aligns directly with the stance most of Democratic base has taken. Early in April Clinton issued a weak statement that left many progressives wondering where she actually stands, and whether or not she is maintaining a comfortable silence to hedge her bets.
“Hillary Clinton believes that any new trade measure has to pass two tests: First, it should put us in a position to protect american workers, raise wages and create more good jobs at home. Second it must also strengthen our national security. We should be willing to walk away from any outcome that falls short of these tests.” Nick Merrill - Spokesman for Hillary Clinton
This is exactly what those who are looking to support her want to hear, but more so they want her to join in the debate publicly. To sit idly by and watch the outcome without joining the fight is to play it safe. Here, silence is the same as supporting TPP, and as such would require an appropriate counter-response.
The struggle over #TPP promises to leave scars on a Democratic Party severely lacking in elected officials willing to stand for working class values and to refuse to continue fattening themselves at corporate feed troughs. As a dues paying union member, it is encouraging to see long overdue promises going out to Democrats letting them know that you will stop receiving union members PAC contributions, and instead they will used to remove you from office if you support issues we oppose. This is the inherent nature of politics, and should come to no surprise to a party that has expected our blind support for to long.