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Top 10 quotes from Sessions’ epic takedown of ObamaTrade

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMh1B7DZ-kA&feature=youtu.be

(Video Above: Senator Sessions explains what Obama’s “Fast-track” legislation really means for the U.S. )

WASHINGTON — After months of back and forth, the U.S. Senate gave final passage to the Trade Promotion Authority Wednesday, giving President Obama a “fast track” to usher through trade agreements. Despite Congress not taking his advice and denying Obama the expansion of executive power he sought, Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions (R) had a few things to say about the controversial program on the Senate floor. Here the top 10:

1. A Transnational Union?

“Why do we have to create a transnational union? An institution that has the power as I will explain, to impact the laws of the United States of America. It’s not necessary”

 

2. On the reality of ObamaTrade

“It will be a living agreement, and that means that the entity itself, the commission will then be entitled to make it say different things, eliminate provisions it doesn’t like, add provisions it does like, in fact the commission is required to meet regularly and to hear advice for changes from outside groups…”

 

3. The European Union

“It says it’s designed to promote the international movement of people, services, and products. Basically the same language used to start the European Union.”

4. Not merely a trade agreement

“It’s not just a trade agreement with one friend and ally South Korea, it’s 12 nations in the Pacific…”

 

5. Why would the President restrict his own power?

“Some of my colleagues have been saying that the trade promotion authority, that the president is so desperately seeking, he’s been hammering and bludgeoning his members, in the Senate and the House, to get them to not vote their conscience but vote with what he wants, they say, ‘we should pass it because it restricts the power of the president. Give me a break. If this were true why would the president want it?”

 

6. Congress surrendering its power

“The entire purpose of fast-track is for Congress to surrender its power to the executive branch for six years.”

 

7. The president has control, now

“Legislative concessions include: control over the content of the legislation, the president negotiates it, he brings it back, we can’t amend it. He controls the content of it.”

 

8. On General Agreement on Trade in Services and the World Trade Organization

“In other words, they made an agreement on immigration visas as part of GATS and the WTO, and it violates and complicates our ability to enforce American immigration law.”

 

9. Obama breaking arms and heads to advance an agenda

“I’m becoming to believe that the primary part of his understanding of the importance of this legislation and why he’s breaking arms and heads over it, is the union, this international commission that has powers that he believes will allow him to advance agendas.”

10. TPA will lead to economic decline

“For too long the United States has entered in the trade deals, on the promise of economic bounty only to see workers impoverished, industries disappear, manufacturing jobs declined.”

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