'A Great Day for Corporate America': US Senate Passes Fast Track

And now the Senate has passed Fast Track authorization though convoluted procedural wranglings.

The cloture motion to end debate needed 60 votes and it got just that, passing the chamber 60-37. The full roll call is here. A final vote will come on Wednesday. Having overcome the biggest hurdle, the legislation is expected to pass, and will then be sent to President Barack Obama's desk to become law.

Lori Wallach, director of Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch, pointed out that the vote only came about via "elaborate legislative contortions and gimmicks designed to hand multinational corporations their top priority."

Such contortions were necessary, she added, "because the American people overwhelmingly oppose these deals, notwithstanding an endless barrage of propaganda."

www.commondreams.org...

Here is the full roll-call by state: (YEA is Yes to TPP, NAY to No to TPP)

Grouped by Home State
Alabama: Sessions (R-AL), Nay Shelby (R-AL), Nay
Alaska: Murkowski (R-AK), Yea Sullivan (R-AK), Yea
Arizona: Flake (R-AZ), Yea McCain (R-AZ), Yea
Arkansas: Boozman (R-AR), Yea Cotton (R-AR), Yea
California: Boxer (D-CA), Nay Feinstein (D-CA), Yea
Colorado: Bennet (D-CO), Yea Gardner (R-CO), Yea
Connecticut: Blumenthal (D-CT), Nay Murphy (D-CT), Nay
Delaware: Carper (D-DE), Yea Coons (D-DE), Yea
Florida: Nelson (D-FL), Yea Rubio (R-FL), Yea
Georgia: Isakson (R-GA), Yea Perdue (R-GA), Yea
Hawaii: Hirono (D-HI), Nay Schatz (D-HI), Nay
Idaho: Crapo (R-ID), Yea Risch (R-ID), Yea
Illinois: Durbin (D-IL), Nay Kirk (R-IL), Yea
Indiana: Coats (R-IN), Yea Donnelly (D-IN), Nay
Iowa: Ernst (R-IA), Yea Grassley (R-IA), Yea
Kansas: Moran (R-KS), Yea Roberts (R-KS), Yea
Kentucky: McConnell (R-KY), Yea Paul (R-KY), Nay
Louisiana: Cassidy (R-LA), Yea Vitter (R-LA), Yea
Maine: Collins (R-ME), Nay King (I-ME), Nay
Maryland: Cardin (D-MD), Nay Mikulski (D-MD), Nay
Massachusetts: Markey (D-MA), Nay Warren (D-MA), Nay
Michigan: Peters (D-MI), Nay Stabenow (D-MI), Nay
Minnesota: Franken (D-MN), Nay Klobuchar (D-MN), Nay
Mississippi: Cochran (R-MS), Yea Wicker (R-MS), Yea
Missouri: Blunt (R-MO), Yea McCaskill (D-MO), Yea
Montana: Daines (R-MT), Yea Tester (D-MT), Nay
Nebraska: Fischer (R-NE), Yea Sasse (R-NE), Yea
Nevada: Heller (R-NV), Yea Reid (D-NV), Nay
New Hampshire: Ayotte (R-NH), Yea Shaheen (D-NH), Yea
New Jersey: Booker (D-NJ), Nay Menendez (D-NJ), Not Voting
New Mexico: Heinrich (D-NM), Nay Udall (D-NM), Nay
New York: Gillibrand (D-NY), Nay Schumer (D-NY), Nay
North Carolina: Burr (R-NC), Yea Tillis (R-NC), Yea
North Dakota: Heitkamp (D-ND), Yea Hoeven (R-ND), Yea
Ohio: Brown (D-OH), Nay Portman (R-OH), Yea
Oklahoma: Inhofe (R-OK), Yea Lankford (R-OK), Yea
Oregon: Merkley (D-OR), Nay Wyden (D-OR), Yea
Pennsylvania: Casey (D-PA), Nay Toomey (R-PA), Yea
Rhode Island: Reed (D-RI), Nay Whitehouse (D-RI), Nay
South Carolina: Graham (R-SC), Yea Scott (R-SC), Yea
South Dakota: Rounds (R-SD), Yea Thune (R-SD), Yea
Tennessee: Alexander (R-TN), Yea Corker (R-TN), Not Voting
Texas: Cornyn (R-TX), Yea Cruz (R-TX), Nay
Utah: Hatch (R-UT), Yea Lee (R-UT), Not Voting
Vermont: Leahy (D-VT), Nay Sanders (I-VT), Nay
Virginia: Kaine (D-VA), Yea Warner (D-VA), Yea
Washington: Cantwell (D-WA), Yea Murray (D-WA), Yea
West Virginia: Capito (R-WV), Yea Manchin (D-WV), Nay
Wisconsin: Baldwin (D-WI), Nay Johnson (R-WI), Yea
Wyoming: Barrasso (R-WY), Yea Enzi (R-WY), Yea

www.senate.gov...

I've no idea why this admendment to the Revenue Code managed to authorized this travesty of leadership but it did.

Here's the actual 'measure title' to which the cloture vote was for:

Measure Title: A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow Federal law enforcement officers, firefighters, and air traffic controllers to make penalty-free withdrawals from governmental plans after age 50, and for other purposes.

WTF.

I'm starting to believe the lizard and mind control people. The Charleston Shooting was very convenient cover for this vote., n'cest pas? I can't believe I said that.

The only people who would want the planet to burn are alien lizards - no, no, no.

It's ANOTHER great day for corporate America... there have been quite a few for years now.

What's rarer is the great days for average citizens in America... I can think of maybe three legislative attempts that would qualify.

Corporations are winning... unfortunately, at the expense of the humans that make them up.

We knew it was coming... Most were holding out for bigger bribes...

Wonder how long till it hits the fan.

Well, we had to pass it to find out what was in it.

I call treason charges for every rat-bastard who voted yes.

Low-life scumbag rat bastard pigs.

I have a gallon of gas and a pack of matches to give away for free if anyone living close by wants to do the world a favour...?

a reply to: FyreByrd

I wonder how many people got bribed for a yea vote. All of them? I also wonder if this is something that can be repealed once someone with integrity and common sense gets in office (that'll be the day).

The real vote is actually tomorrow.

I bet it passes.

Rand Paul and Ted Cruz voted "NO" today.

Get ready for some "Fast tracking".

a reply to: FyreByrd

Hey FyreByrd you want another mind f***?

I liked your snippet about mind control and repitilians.

Let's take it to the next level.

They needed to make a solstice sacrifice in order to Kristen the launch of the TPP TISA and TTIP.

Yay more reptiles!

a reply to: FyreByrd

Not to be cliche but I think it's appropriate this time...

And so it begins...

And then there is this:

More importantly, however, is the following vote, scheduled for Wednesday or Thursday, on "Trade Adjustment Assistance," (TAA),

also known as the "We sent your job to a Pacific Rim sweatshop in a country with no labor laws where people work for $2 a day during 18-hour shifts making the clothes you used to be able to afford before we laid you off, so here's ten dollars so you can take in a movie and get your mind off things, but no popcorn for you" bill.

In other words, TAA is a bill to provide "assistance" for all the people who are absolutely going to lose their jobs if the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement (TPP) passes ... and the passage of that trade bill is what all this TPA and TAA mishigas has been about.

And now, this. You're not fired, laid off, outsourced, downsized, removed, erased, kicked to the curb, bounced, deleted, expunged, cut, dismissed, chucked, or even screwed. Nope. You've been "trade adjusted," right out onto the sidewalk with a box of your stuff in your arms and a disorienting buzzing noise rattling the inside of your skull. Such a kind euphemism for so traumatic an event. The boys in the bowels of that building sure put the work in on that one.

I truly abhor Big Business and Wealth and their Tools in and out of government.

Oh - source - good rant - read it and learn:

www.truth-out.org...




have to add the point of the referenced rant:

Let's say the TPA survives cloture and is passed ... and let's even say that Mitch McConnell trips over his soul in the men's room and actually allows a vote on TAA, and it survives cloture and then passes ... guess what? The money to "assist" people who suffer "trade adjustment" upon passage of the TPP will come from ...

Wait for it ...

Wait for it ...

Medicare!

That's right! Probably the most successful, well-run social program in US history will take it in the teeth to help support people who lose their jobs to the trade bill that necessitated this "assistance" in the first place.

... and here's the best part. The original plan was to "sequester" - another brilliantly vile euphemism - about $700 million per year from Medicare to fund "assistance" for everyone who gets "trade adjusted" by the TPP. Republicans balked at the number, not because it was stealing from Medicare, but because it was Just Another Government Welfare Program Argle Bargle Blah. After a series of negotiations between congressional Democrats, Republicans and the White House, they settled on carving out $450 million per year to "assist" the "trade adjusted."

Frackers - literally and in the 'Glalactica' sense - he he - I'm losing it.

Bad news is, the USS America is now going down, with all hands.

Good news is, there are lifeboats, but only enough for 1% of her crew.

originally posted by: onequestion
a reply to: FyreByrd

Hey FyreByrd you want another mind f***?

I liked your snippet about mind control and repitilians.

Let's take it to the next level.

They needed to make a solstice sacrifice in order to Kristen the launch of the TPP TISA and TTIP.

Yay more reptiles!

YOU MAY BE RIGHT !!!!!

SCARCASM AHEAD

"Black Lives Matter" when choosing victums for ritual sacrifice.

originally posted by: CranialSponge
Low-life scumbag rat bastard pigs.

I have a gallon of gas and a pack of matches to give away for free if anyone living close by wants to do the world a favour...?

Be careful what you say - THEY may hear you.

So they're going to kill Granny to throw some crumbs at the working people after they screw them?
Don't Republicans always deny they want to kill Granny?

a reply to: FyreByrd

Wonder when they roll out the world dollar....couple of months?

People of this nation are going to have to face the harsh reality that the reason we keep getting f*cked over all the time is because the elite know we have no courage, no will to do what is needed and basically no balls. They know this and so they just push us down, walk over the top of us and laugh while doing it. They destroy lives, lock us up, beat us, poison us, lie to us and kill us in more ways than I can count and they do it knowing we lack what it takes to do something about it.

I hate to be the one to have to tell you this but it won't change without blood being spilled people. No amount of poster waiving, boycotting or chanting some BS slogan is going to do anything. The people who are doing this are doing it because they have NOTHING TO FEAR. They know they can get away with it. Whether or not you want to face it the truth is up to you but we both know nothing will change until these people either Fear or Respect us. They don't respect a goddamn thing so it has to be fear. Real life and death fear.

Just think about it for a second and tell me I'm wrong.

a reply to: FyreByrd
While most Citizens are more concerned about the Confederate Flag. Wonder how they will like the Fascist Corporatist Flag.

What a bunch of treasonous rat bastards at the helm of this ship.....

So what now then..i guess just enjoy the last remaining freedoms while they are still about

originally posted by: xuenchen
The real vote is actually tomorrow.

I bet it passes.

Rand Paul and Ted Cruz voted "NO" today.

Get ready for some "Fast tracking".

Sanders also voted no.

a reply to: FyreByrd

Be careful what you say - THEY may hear you.

Good.

I have a pet moose named Angus who gets weird cravings for fascist-pig brains every second Tuesday.