DC Trade Deals: Help Or Not – Either Way The Workers Are Displaced

[1]Here is how our government works as we transition into the post-democracy era. Against the express wishes of The American Majority [2] DC’s elite are getting ready to finalize “trade” treaties designed to move American jobs out of the country. This pits American workers, with their unions and their pensions and their safety protections and environmental standards, etc., against workers without these. One “side” wants just a bit of help for the “displaced” employees. The other says, “Hell, no!” Of course neither side is talking about deals that help workers here and across borders.

Trade deals with Korea, Panama and Columbia are ready for approval. At issue is Trade Adjustment Assistance for displaced workers. This program was expanded as part of the stimulus package, but the expansion expired in February. Republicans have been blocking renewal since. The President and Democrats are holding out for a renewal before they will take up the trade agreements, Republicans say anything that helps workers is off the table now and they'll discuss it after the trade deals are enacted.

Business Week: White House threatens to hold up key trade deals [3],

The White House says it will not send Congress final legislation on three coveted free trade agreements unless lawmakers expand retraining assistance for American workers who lose their jobs because of foreign competition.

The White House's insistence that the trade deals be linked to the TAA program comes as administration officials hold talks with Congress to finalize the agreements it reached with South Korea, Panama and Colombia. Republicans broadly support the pacts and Obama has said they are integral to his economic agenda.

NY Times: Ultimatum Holding Up Trade Deals [4],

The Obama administration said on Monday that it would not seek Congressional approval of free trade agreements with Colombia, Panama and South Korea until Republicans agree to expand assistance for American workers who might lose jobs as a result.

Washington Post: McConnell blasts Obama for holding up trade deals over aid for displaced workers [5],

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) blasted the Obama administration Monday after the White House announced that it will not move forward on three key trade deals unless Congress agrees to move forward on extending a program for workers whose jobs were displaced because of outsourcing.

The Public's Wishes Ignored

None of the above articles mentioned that The American Majority [2] is strongly opposed to these kinds of trade deals, because they oursource jobs to force wages and benefits down here, to make a wealthy few even wealthier.

According to a Democracy Corps/Campaign for America's Future poll [6], conducted November 2-3, 2010,

78% supported a five-year strategy to revive manufacturing in America that included ending tax breaks that reward moving jobs abroad, enforcing buy-America provisions on government spending, countering unfair trade and currency practices by China and others, and investing in domestic research and technology.

An April 1, Gallup poll found: Americans' Top Job-Creation Idea: Stop Sending Work Overseas [7]

Compared to a candidate who attacked Democrats for the economic stimulus and health care reform, 57 percent of voters said they were much or somewhat more likely to support a candidate with a "made-in-America" campaign message that points out that Republicans have "pledged to support free trade deals and protect tax breaks for companies that send American jobs to India and China."

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