SR 358 - The Con-Con Con Again

SR 355 – TPP Coming Fast

Good afternoon. I’m still reporting on the economy.

Negotiators in New York are preparing to rush the Trans Pacific Partnership through the U.S. Congress. TPP, is a piece of legislation that is even bigger than ObamaCare, equally damaging, yet will also be so lengthy that no one will read it.

Although the legislation has been under development for many years, its text is still a secret. Even members of Congress have been denied access to it for years.

Experts believe that TPP will be suddenly introduced in Congress in the next 30 to 60 days and then voted Fast Track authority, to push it through before the public can understand what is in it.

What’s it all about? A few sections have been leaked by whistleblowers. It’s primary thrust is to make it easier for major corporations to outsource jobs into the cheapest labor markets – a literal race to the bottom for wage earners.

It will help big agriculture by relaxing safety standards on imported meat and poultry and reduce food labeling requirements.

It will help big pharma by expanding their monopoly protection on drugs, keeping costs high for years.

It will undermine internet freedom by reversing recent internet encryption advances.

Generally it will give big corporations sovereign nation status, allowing them to sue nations that pass legislation which cuts into their profits.

TPP and its proposed fast track authority will suddenly swoop down on the American public in the next 30 to 60 days, and many fear that the new Republican majority might be swayed by promises of huge corporate campaign contributions to quickly push it through Congress.

Now here is a piece of legislation we all should support; a 20-page limit -- or 5,000 word limit -- on any piece of legislation to stop bad bills sneaking through unread.

Former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich has produced a speedy 2-minute explanation of TPP and Fast Track which can be found on