Congress Is Sick of the Secrecy Around the TPP

The Trans-Pacific Partnership is in its final stages, though nobody seems certain when talks over the massive trade deal will actually conclude. The document is undergoing critical late-stage revisions as member nations haggle over the automobile trade with Japan, dairy prices in New Zealand, and monopoly periods for non-generic pharmaceuticals.

When the deal is completed, members of Congress will be able to see the entire text without restriction before they vote on passage. But until then, legislators are operating under hyper-strict rules when they want to review the text, which is locked in a basement room of the US Capitol. Only certain congressional aides with security clearances can see the TPP draft, and only when the member of Congress is also present. Notes taken during these sessions can’t be taken out of the room.
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Has anyone ever heard of anything like this? Under what authority does the US federal government have to lock potential future legislation "in a basement room of the US Capitol" and do the rest of what's described above? Can someone show me anywhere in law that would give the US federal government the right to do any of this?

They're probably claiming it's a national security issue. How could openly releasing potential future legislation to members of Congress be a national security issue? We're not talking about openly releasing it to the general public which is what should be done, should it not?

This is something out of a farcical movie about politics. Like a Leslie Neilson Naked Gun-style movie. Anyone else having trouble believing that this is real life?

For the posters out there that always defend the US federal government, how do you defend this? Who is the "US federal government" if it's not the legislative branch, the executive branch, and the judicial branch? I don't see how anyone could look at this and not say that it's extreme tyranny by the executive branch over the legislative branch. And, if it is, who's ever heard of that? Example?

Obviously, it's a conspiracy of immense proportions. "Notes taken during these sessions can’t be taken out of the room." That means that if members of Congress try to discuss it after reading it, they won't be able to discuss many details because their memories will be hazy. For all intents and purposes, they won't be able to discuss ANY details.

How can even the most brain-dead, jaded individuals support any of this?

And if you answer by saying that the Congress are just puppets who will pass TPP no matter what, how can you defend that either?

a reply to: Profusion

I feel like the title makes it sound like the members of Congress are such Champions for the People, heroes standing up the the evil corporate powers.

We all know that couldn't be further from the truth. However "sick" they might be of all this secrecy, if they can get a fat check or anything else out of it, they'll be voting to pass this thing in a heartbeat.

Any legislation that the people can't read before it's passed is harmful to the general populace by definition.

Any legislation that even the people voting on it can't read will by default destroy the country in some way, shape or form.

Didn't they learn their lesson from the last round of you can read it after you vote on it?

This is why the country is revolting and I actually think Trump may be the next president, because the people have had enough of professional politicians and their back room deals. Regardless of what I think of Trump, it is stuff like this that will get him elected. For how long have we been saying "throw the bums out" (professional politicians)?

This type of behavior shows us the great harm that professional politicians do to a country.

a reply to: Profusion

Personally I agree that the secrecy needs to end, and that secrecy is never a sign of honesty or integrity. But I have a question.

Are the one's who voted to fast track the presidents authority to push through the TPP sick of the secrecy? Or is this only coming from those who voted against the fast track?

I would imagine that any congress person who voted to give the president such authority wouldn't now be complaining unless they are a complete idiot and hypocrite.

Although I do believe that some of our leaders might be both idiots and hypocrites this would be a new level of idiocracy.

Add - Obama seems to be very transparent about his wishes to keep everything secret. I think we simply misunderstood him.

a reply to: Isurrender73

Little late to complain about it now. Fast track was a good point to stop it.

I think the TPP is an important step to the fundamental transformation of the United States. The transformation will not be to something that benefits the American public thus the need to keep us in the dark as long as possible. Till it's to late, it's too late now probably .

Most transparent administration in history. LoL

This is a fine demonstration of how utterly corrupt, morally and intellectually bankrupt, is our governance. Voting on laws they cannot discuss with their constituents.

We had our chance to show resistance with Keystone, but we did nothing. Like it was a litmus test. Now they know that if they, go slowly enough, the public won't care, and they can do whatever they want. We idiot Americans only care about the flash in the pan issues.

Has anyone ever heard of anything like this? Under what authority does the US federal government have to lock potential future legislation "in a basement room of the US Capitol" and do the rest of what's described above?

It just domonstrates to us all the power of big busienss and this is before they've even get what they want.

One of the purposes of government is to protect the population against the greed of busienss so it clearly demosntrats just how much we the people have so little govt of the poeple by the people.

Just imagine if no such international agreement could become law until it had been passed by the people in a referundem?

Fight now while there is some chance of victory or later when there is no chance of victory.

a reply to: Profusion

Wait a second. Didn't this same Congress pass the bill allowing the "fast tracking" of trade bills like TPP just a few months ago? If so, why should we believe this? BTW, I'm not aiming this at you but at them.

I know our news cycle has a very short memory, but seriously? Are we supposed to forget they could've forced the secrecy to be lifted from this very TPP if they wanted to? Instead, they passed a bill which allows Presidents to negotiate these type of deals in private, then force an up or down vote on them, without Congress being able to make any changes to them.

a reply to: Profusion

This is only more evidence that our nation is no only no longer run by the people and for the people but its split into two or more governments that work completely independent of each other.

This actually makes by laws our government illegal as it stand today.