Fast Track Procedural Vote Tomorrow
Full court press from WH before Tuesday fast track vote. NYT: "...after lobbying members of Congress in a campaign that has included rides on Air Force One, meetings in the West Wing, private vows of political support and public attacks on critics in his own party, Mr. Obama’s top legislative priority remains at risk ... even senior members of the administration seem astonished at the difficulty the president is having in selling the deal."
"Trade bill fate in doubt" reports Politico: "...some Democrats who back the trade bill are nonetheless expected to support the [Sen. Harry Reid's filibuster] bid to force the GOP’s hand on the other measures ... [But] the Senate is expected to eventually approve the so-called trade promotion authority bill ... The bigger drama may turn out to be in the House, where the overwhelming majority of Democrats and a large contingent of Republicans oppose the measure."
"Democrats Push for Trade Sweeteners" notes Roll Call: "Two bills are expected to be included: TPA, known as fast track, which speeds up consideration of trade deals with Asia and Europe, and TAA, which gives income support and training to workers displaced by international trade. But Democrats on the fence are demanding sweeteners ... a bill that gives trade preferences to developing nations, as well as a bill that deters the import of artificially cheap products."
Middle Class Prosperity Project Meets
Sen. Warren's Middle Class Prosperity Project convenes in Baltimore today: "This forum will examine how mainstream financial service providers are not fully meeting the needs of many in the middle class – and many who aspire to it – for basic banking services like check cashing services and small dollar loans."
WSJ explores working dropping out of the work force: "Among the 20 metropolitan areas where unemployment fell by at least 2.7 percentage points in the past year, 16 also saw their workforces shrink over the same period ... But the data don’t explain why the workforce is smaller and where the unemployed are going."
Wall St. still trying to kill Dodd-Frank. NYT's Paul Krugman: "...the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau [is] having a major chilling effect on abusive lending practices ... enhanced regulation of financial derivatives ... is having similar effects ... the enemies of reform can’t withstand sunlight[, making] slavery-is-freedom claims that reform actually empowers the bad guys..."
Bernie Targets Citizens United
Sen. Bernie Sanders refuses PAC dollars. W. Post: "Although Sanders did not criticize Clinton about her tacit support for an allied super PAC, about which The Washington Post’s Matea Gold reported last week, he nonetheless stressed — without naming names — his belief that the American political system gives outsize influence to millionaires and billionaires."
And proposes Citizens United litmus test for SCOTUS noms. Politico quotes: "If elected president, I will have a litmus test in terms of my nominee to be a Supreme Court justice and that nominee will say that they are going to overturn this disastrous Supreme Court decision."
Hillary Clinton pushes paid family leave on Mothers' Day. The Hill: "The former secretary of State said it is 'outrageous' that the United States is 'the only developed country' that does not guaranteed paid leave for workers who have children. 'At a time that should be so exciting and joyful, I see so many women just distraught,' Clinton said in voiceover during the roughly two-minute video posted on YouTube."
